# Commercials a la Superbowl

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-a-la-superbowl/151189>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 27, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-a-la-superbowl/151189 "2003-01-27T06:58:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-a-la-superbowl/151189/1 "2003-01-27T06:58:33Z")

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Any thoughts on when “Superbowl Commercials” started? I recall some big ads from the mid-80s. It seems the Pepsi ad with Mike Jackson and the boys (you’ll recall the flaming hair incident?) may be the earliest I recall.

Is there any common acceptence of what set of the Superbowl ad wars? Was there one big-budget commercial that set it all off? (Perhaps it was that Pepsi commercial). I can’t imagine the big-budget commercials pre-dated it by much, but perhaps someone has better recollection than me. Any thoughts on the politics behind it?

Thanks s’much

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-a-la-superbowl/151189/2 "2003-01-27T13:38:33Z")

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The introduction of the Macintosh was made with a one-time-only showing of the ‘1984’ commercial at the (surprise) 1984 Super Bowl.

That’s earlier than the Flaming Jacksons, no?

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-a-la-superbowl/151189/3 "2003-01-27T14:16:52Z")

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Right. The “1984” ad was not only the first really high budget Super Bowl commercials, but is generally considered one of the most innovative and influential ads ever produced.

I still prefer PCs, though.

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**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-a-la-superbowl/151189/4 "2003-01-28T02:04:54Z")

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Actually, Apple’s ad agency pulled a fast one, and aired the commercial one time at an odd hour in a small town in the far northren midwest, late in December of 1983, in order to qualify the ad for nomination to the Cleo awards that were given in 1984.