Super Bowl Spots That Still Score

Subscribe. Stream. Unsubscribe. Repeat. Media viewing habits aren’t what they used to be. “Traditional” television—broadcast, cable and satellite—has taken a proverbial backseat to over-the-top (OTT) on-demand options, which have skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade. A simple web search will reveal a plethora of studies and statistics on the topic. Or you can do your own research. Just tell people they can watch their favorite programs, but only on Tuesdays at 8pm and there will be commercials. They’ll look at you as if a skunk wandered in the room and threw a temper tantrum.

The Super Bowl is a wonderfully rare exception. Once a year T.V. gets to ride shotgun with OTT and people second-guess bathroom breaks during commercial breaks. It’s not all that surprising for two reasons. First, Zoomers, Boomers and everyone in between prefer to watch sports live without fear of buffering. Second, brands invest millions of dollars to bring their A-game to the Big Game. (It’s been more like B- or C-game lately, but that’s an entirely different article.)

As the world counts down to kickoff, we asked Bread n Butter’s creative directors to share their favorite spots from years past. Which of them made an indelible impression? And, in a few words, why? There were, of course, plenty of honorable mentions. Apple’s rebellion in 1984, HP’s herding cats, Terry Tate tackling coworkers in Reeboks, babies talking up eTrade, #LikeAGirl from Always, Budweiser saying “Wasssssssup,” the list goes on and that list is downright impressive. In the end, Adam, Tim and Colin narrowed it down to three spots that check a bunch of strategic and creative boxes.

Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

"The delivery, repetition and cadence of this spot is perfect. It’s one of those rare executions that you need to watch two or three times just to catch all the punchlines. Not only was Old Spice’s message memorable as a result, but the brand stood (way) out among dozens of other brands also screaming for attention." – Adam

GE “Ideas are Scary”

"Instead of spending millions to tell us about its latest hydro-electric power converter, or whatever, GE spent the money to celebrate humankind's most valuable asset: ideas." – Tim

Snickers “Betty White”

"The first installment of a long-running campaign that was insightful, brilliantly casted and downright hilarious. It's no wonder that Snickers catapulted from seventh to the top of the category as a result." – Colin