Since the Super Bowl commercials became as big a deal as the game itself, especially for those viewers who don’t care that much about the game and aren't sweating NY sports betting, there’s annual fascination about the cost of the ad spots, who’s taking them, who’s appearing in the ads and which commercials will become viral sensations.
The first great Super Bowl commercial is believed to be the 1980 Coca-Cola spot featuring Pittsburgh Steeler Mean Joe Greene and a young fan. But the spot that changed the game for Big Game commercials was from the 1984 contest and was for Apple’s new personal computer.
It was directed by Ridley Scott, who was coming off the sci-fi classics “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” and cost a then-ridiculous $400,000. The Orwellian ad helped brand the Macintosh as something new, exciting and different from boring old IBM, and the rest is history.
Best Of The Rest
Following Apple’s success, others jumped headfirst into the Super Bowl commercial sweepstakes with ever more impressive and expensive spots. (Another 1984 masterpiece was Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” ad.)
There was the Budweiser “Wassap” spot in 2000, which started a most annoying catchphrase trend. In 2010, Betty White added to her legend in a now-famous Snickers commercial. Nike’s 1993 “Hare Jordan” Bugs Bunny ad helped inspire the movie “Space Jam.”
That was the same year Michael Jordan and Larry Bird played a special game of H-O-R-S-E to promote McDonald’s.
Homer Simpson starred in a 2004 spot for Mastercard. Cindy Crawford and a red Lamborghini drew attention to Pepsi in a 1992 ad.
And who could forget the Old Spice man in 2010, the E-trade baby in 2008, or Volkswagen’s nod to “Star Wars” in 2012.
NY sports betting apps won't offer odds on this year's best ad, but hey, a little history lesson never hurt anyone.
Hypothetical Odds of Brands Having Best SB Commercial
Breaking Bad Duo Could Be Trouble
In trying to handicap who’s going to have this year’s best commercial, PopCorners (+440) is the favorite due to a Bryan Cranston-Aaron Paul “Breaking Bad” reunion. But Doritos (+545) and Pepsi (+700) have had so many Super Bowl classics they’ve got to be contenders to once again rise to the occasion.
They’re simply proven Big Game players. This year’s Doritos ad features rapper Jack Harlow.
FanDuel (+900) is a logical advertiser on the Super Bowl, but there are so many FanDuel ads already, can they come up with something new . . . with Rob Gronkowski?
Even if TurboTax (+1120) makes doing taxes easy, no one likes taxes. Their commercial would have to go above and beyond to top the chart. Downy at +1120? Who is the “Unstoppables” mystery pitchman? Can he make that big a difference?
Choosing The Field (+270) may be a way to go, as there are some big brands signed up including Heineken, Michelob and Pringles, and with 30-second spots going for a record $7 million, no one wants to lay out that kind of coin on a dud.
Keep it here at EmpireStakes for more hypothetical odds, as well as the best NY betting promos.
