It's no secret that Super Bowl ads have become more important than the game itself for some people. The ads have gotten so elaborate and the time slots so coveted that the going rate for a single minute of air time is $8 million.
It's also widely accepted that Super Bowl Sunday is all about the food -- it's America's second biggest food holiday after Thanksgiving. While some may think TV ads and food play a supporting role for the game, others agree they're the main event.
No matter what you value most in the holy Super Bowl trinity -- game, food, TV ads -- these awesome food ads from years past will get you excited for 2014's Super Bowl.
"Apartment 10G": Michael J. Fox Diet Pepsi Ad (1987)
Michael J. Fox meets his new neighbor -- a hot lady with shoulder pads and all -- when she comes over and asks to "borrow a Diet Pepsi." Suspending your disbelief that this would ever happen in real life, the rest of the ad is totally awesome. Fox leaps in the air when he goes to the kitchen to retrieve the Pepsi, and when he realizes he's all out, he does what he has to do to get the Pepsi, and the girl.
Michael Jordan and Larry Bird "HORSE" McDonald's Ad (1993)
In this ad, the basketball legends compete with each other to make a basket from increasingly lofty locales in a bid for a Big Mac. Michael Jordan's outfit alone makes this throwback amazing, but the music does a really good job too.
Uh-Huh Diet-Pepsi Original Featuring Ray Charles (1991)
Ray Charles. Enough said.
Cindy Crawford Pepsi Ad (1992)
Could there be anything sexier than Cindy Crawford? To a couple of 10-year-old boys, the answer is, "Yes."
Budweiser Frogs Ad (1995)
The original commercial featuring the Budweiser frogs was genius. It aired more than 10 years ago and is still good, after all these years.
Tabasco Mosquito Ad (1998)
Revenge has never tasted so... spicy.
Britney Spears Pepsi Ad (2001)
If only Britney could have stayed this way.
Bud Light Magic Fridge Ad (2006)
It starts kind of slow, but the ending is awesome. As two guys get ready to watch the game, one reveals the genius plan he has devised to keep all the other guys coming over from drinking all the beer: A secret revolving wall. One man's revolving wall is another man's magic fridge.
Taco Bell Carne Asada Ad (2007)
So good on so many levels.
SoBe Life Water Naomi Campbell and Lizards Ad (2008)
This add makes no sense. Naomi Campbell dancing with lizards to "Thriller?" But then again, Naomi Campbell dancing with lizards to "Thriller." It works so well.
Miller High Life One Second Ad (2009)
When a one-minute ad costs $8 million today, this was a wise decision.
Betty White Snickers Ad (2010)
"You're not you when you're hungry." Yeah, we know.
"The Best Part" Doritos Ad (2011)
It's true. The cheese-powder saturated crumbs are the best part.
"Proud Papa" Bear McDonald's Ad (2011)
Father-son bear duo scare a group of travelers for fun in a hunt for McDonald's fries. After frightening the passengers out of the car, Papa Bear picks up the car and turns it over, shaking it out for a single fry. "There's always one at the bottom," the ad concludes.
PSY Gangam Style Pistachios Ad (2013)
Pistachios, you had us at "Cracking Gangam Style." You kept us with rows of dancing pistachios, and you really won us over with "PSY does it and we all go nuts."
"Goat 4 Sale" Doritos Ad (2013)
This Doritos ad capitalized on the inherent humor that goats provide just by being themselves.
"Whisper Fight" Oreo Ad (2013)
This commercial takes the eternal Oreo dilemma, cream or cookie, to the extreme, in a whisper. When hushed fighting breaks out in a library, eventually the cops are called and in a moment of TV brilliance, they whisper over a megaphone. Cream or cookie is "something we can all disagree on."
And topping all other ads last year, Oreo came in for the win -- even over its own "Whisper Fight." When a power outage caused the Super Bowl blackout last year, Oreos stepped up with a spontaneous tweet that basically broke the Internet.
What will this year's best food ads be? Budweiser's "Puppy Love" ad that pulls at all the heartstrings will definitely be in the running. Let us know what you think!
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