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5 Super Bowl ads for the record books

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The Big Game is also the biggest game of the year for advertisers. NBC has sold every one of its spots for Sunday’s Super Bowl, with some 30-second spots costing as much as $7 million. We’ll be sure to have plenty of ads to talk about come Monday morning, but let’s take a look at the Super Bowl Commercial Record Book for this week’s Five For Friday.

#5: Most Expensive Ad: Amazon Echo

In this star-studded 2018 spot where Alexa loses her voice, Amazon spent just short of $15 million for a 90-second spot. That comes out to around $165,000 per second. It certainly begs the question, “Are Super Bowl ads really worth it?”

#4: Largest Ad Buy: Anheuser-Busch

Two years ago for Super Bowl LIV, Anheuser-Busch bought eight commercials for over $25 million. That’s 5.5 minutes of airtime during a game that has only 11 minutes of action. But it’s a drop in the helmet when you consider the company spent over $1.5 billion on ads that year.

#3: Most Watched Ad Online: Amazon Echo

Amazon graces the list again with the most-viewed Super Bowl commercial online. Did anyone miss this Amazon spot in 2020 featuring that year’s PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive Michael B. Jordan as Alexa personified? The commercial known as “Alexa’s Body” racked up 111 million total views with 78 million views on this one YouTube video alone.

#2: Most Disastrous Ad: Just For Feet

If you haven’t heard of Just For Feet, it’s because the athletic store went out of business shortly after what’s considered to be the most disastrous Super Bowl commercial of all time. The 1999 spot featured white people in a Humvee chasing down a barefoot Kenyan runner, drugging him and putting sneakers on his feet. Afterward, the shoe company sued its ad agency for damaging its reputation but the lawsuit was later dropped.

#1: The GOAT: Coke or Apple?

The top spot goes to the Greatest Super Bowl Ad Of All Time. And folks, it’s a tie. Is it Coke’s 1980 “Hey Kid, Catch” starring Mean Joe Greene? Or the Ridley Scott-directed classic from Apple called “1984?” In Straight Arrow News style, I’ll let you decide. Let me know in the comments!

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SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: THE BIG GAME IS ALSO THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR FOR ADVERTISERS.

NBC HAS SOLD EVERY ONE OF ITS SPOTS FOR THIS SUNDAY’S SUPER BOWL. SOME 30-SECONDS – COSTING AS MUCH AS 7 MILLION DOLLARS. LET’S LOOK AT THE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL RECORD BOOKS FOR THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

COMING IN AT NUMBER 5 – THE MOST EXPENSIVE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL EVER. 

IN THIS STAR-STUDDED 2018 SPOT WHERE ALEXA LOSES HER VOICE, AMAZON SPENT JUST SHORT OF 15 MILLION FOR A 90 SECOND SPOT.  THAT’S AROUND 165-THOUSAND BUCKS A SECOND. BEGGING THE QUESTION, “ARE SUPER BOWL ADS REALLY WORTH IT?”

AT NUMBER 4, THE LARGEST AD BUY EVER.

TWO YEARS AGO IN SUPER BOWL 54 ANHEUSER-BUSCH BOUGHT EIGHT COMMERCIALS FOR OVER $25 MILLION. THAT’S 5-½ MINUTES OF AIRTIME DURING A GAME WITH ONLY 11 MINUTES OF ACTION. BUT IT’S A DROP IN THE HELMET WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE COMPANY SPENT OVER 1.5 BILLION ON ADS THAT YEAR.

AT NUMBER THREE IS – THE MOST VIEWED SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL EVER – ONLINE THAT IS.
WHO DIDN’T SEE THIS AMAZON SPOT IN 2020 STARRING THAT YEAR’S SEXIEST MAN ALIVE MICHAEL B JORDAN AS ALEXA PERSONIFIED.  WITH 111 MILLION TOTAL VIEWS THE COMMERCIAL KNOWN AS “ALEXA’S BODY” HAS 78 MILLION VIEWS ON THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO ALONE

IN THE SECOND POSITION…THE WORST AD EVER
IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD OF JUST FOR FEET, IT’S BECAUSE THE ATHLETIC STORE WENT OUT OF BUSINESS SHORTLY AFTER RUNNING WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST DISASTROUS SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL OF ALL TIME. THE 1999 SPOT FEATURED WHITE PEOPLE IN A HUMVEE CHASING DOWN A BAREFOOT KENYAN RUNNER, DRUGGING HIM AND PUTTING SNEAKERS ON HIS FEET. AFTERWARD, THE SHOE COMPANY SUED ITS AD AGENCY FOR DAMAGING ITS REPUTATION.  THE LAWSUIT WAS LATER DROPPED.

THE TOP SPOT GOES TO THE GREATEST SUPER BOWL AD OF ALL TIME.
AND WE HAVE A TIE FOLKS.
IS IT COKE’S 1980 “HEY KID, CATCH” STARRING MEAN JOE GREENE?
OR THE RIDLEY SCOTT-DIRECTED CLASSIC FROM APPLE CALLED 1984?

IN STRAIGHT ARROW STYLE, I’LL LET YOU DECIDE – JUST TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS.   I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO FOR JUST BUSINESS, ENJOY THE GAME AND THE ADS AND I’LL SEE YOU MONDAY.