Abdimalik Mohamed, sports editor

When you think about the Super Bowl you picture many things — the lights of the stadium, the players on the field, the halftime show performed by megastars. But one thing that I have always had a weird fascination with is the concept of the Super Bowl commercials and why they are such a big deal to certain people. I love football and I love parties, but I HATE Super Bowl parties because there are people who just sit there and talk during the game but are quiet during the commercials. But what is the history behind these commercials? And why do they cause such a stir?

In 1980, Coca-Cola made a phenomenal commercial during the Super Bowl that is still talked about to this day, according to Speaking Human. The crazy part about this commercial is that Mean Joe Greene was initially reluctant when his agent informed him that Coca-Cola wanted him to appear in a commercial. Yahoo Sports stated that the heralded Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle actually passed on the gig at first because he feared he didn’t have the acting chops to credibly deliver his line. The overall plot of the commercial was that Greene, was walking back to the locker room after a game. As he’s walking, a young kid tells him that he’s “the best” and that “he’s amazing.” The kid also says that he can have his Coca-Cola, which Greene declines at first, but the kid insists. He then takes the Coke, drinks it and as the kid starts to walk away, Greene looks at him and says, “Hey kid, catch,” and he tosses him his jersey. This commercial is iconic because Greene is a rough and tough football player, but in that moment he showed a level of kindness to that kid, and it showed a different side to him that not everyone sees.

Super Bowl commercials really took off during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984 when the Washington Commanders took on the Oakland Raiders. CNN explained that a young fledgling company named Apple wanted to get out from IBM’s shadow and make their own mark in the industry by introducing the Macintosh Computer to an audience of over 77 million Americans on television. The plan was to call back to George Orwell’s novel “1984.” The line used at the end of the commercial to make it stand out was, “On January 24th, Apple will introduce the Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’” 

One thing that is also shocking about these ads is their high price tag. At the time, Apple paid around $600,000 (1.8 million when adjusted for inflation) for a 30-second ad and a 60-second ad to run during the game. Now, advertisers are looking at a cost of $8 million for an ad during the big game, reported CNN.

It’s obvious to me that these commercials cause such a stir because of the pop culture phenomenon that they’ve become. They make viewers laugh, cry and bond over which one is their favorite. I know I said earlier that I really didn’t like Super Bowl commercials and the people who only care about them, but this year I’ll definitely keep an eye out for one that I find interesting.