Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (2010)
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Here’s why this ad ran after, not during, Super Bowl 44: The client hated it. “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” ended up airing immediately following the game, to burn off a few extra 30-second units that P&G had already bought. But it quickly became synonymous with groundbreaking Super Bowl spots and, as a female-targeted message for a male-skewing brand, put a feminine stamp on the Big Game. It also moved a ton of body wash, spawning sequels, making stars and coining catchphrases.
Google “Parisian Love” (2010)
Agency: In-house
Google’s search window is most often used for, well, digital searches. But the brand repurposed it as a storytelling vehicle, accomplishing in 52 seconds what some rom-coms can’t do in two hours. “Study abroad” and “impress a French woman” lead to queries about chocolates, churches and cribs. Awww. It’s another example of a way to use the Big Game to go simple and quiet but still make a major impact.
Snickers “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” (2010)
Agency: BBDO
Golden Girls star Betty White had fallen out of the spotlight so was not a typical celebrity choice for a Super Bowl ad. But in Snickers’ campaign, she stole the show and brought the Mars brand’s idea to life with comedic perfection. The commercial also helped revive White’s career, with fans later successfully lobbying for her to host Saturday Night Live.
Volkswagen “The Force” (2011)
Agency: Deutsch LA
Volkswagen hadn’t run a Super Bowl ad in over a decade and went up against carmakers with bigger budgets. However, “The Force”—in which a kid dressed as Darth Vader attempts to use his imagined powers—stands as one of the most memorable Super Bowl ads for its original character, sweet humor and storytelling. The brand also broke the playbook by releasing its commercial days before the game, which is now standard practice for most Super Bowl advertisers.
