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The 10 worst Super Bowl ads of all time
The spots that couldn’t keep their kilts down, and wasted millions
 | Think back to 1993. Other than Heidi Fleiss and possibly Lorena Bobbitt, was there a worse person to associate with your new product than Dan Quayle? |
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Large companies have found a lot of ways to throw away good money, but it’s hard to imagine a higher-profile failure than a catastrophic Super Bowl ad.
Few people remember a poorly played Super Bowl — but a horrible Super Bowl commercial may become inextricably etched in consumers’ brains until the day they die. Several corporations spending $2.6 million for 30 seconds of air time this year will probably end up hurting their brands.
To get noticed, Super Bowl advertisers have to take risks — and sometimes those risks backfire. Bad commercials have led to consumer backlash, harsh words from critics and at least one legal battle between a corporation and the company that created a much-derided ad.
Below are the 10 worst Super Bowl commercials of all time, followed by the reasons that they crashed and burned, and a summary of any chaos that followed. Budweiser has become reliable at turning out minor controversies, but the Top 4 are in a league of their own.
10. Frito-Lay — Dan Quayle ad (1993): For the national launch of Wavy Lays potato chips, much-ridiculed former Vice-President Quayle makes a cameo, with a joke about his inability to spell “potato.”
What failed: Think back to 1993. Other than Heidi Fleiss and possibly Lorena Bobbitt, was there a worse person to associate with your new product than Dan Quayle?
The fallout: Despite some negative reviews, the Quayle ad was followed by more commercials featuring unsuccessful politicians and other losers, including a Chevy Chase ad for Doritos (right after his talk show disaster), Ann Richards and Mario Cuomo for Lays — and Bob Dole for just about everything.
2. Disgust the audience: The huge Super Bowl audience brings the possibility of greater success — and also the chance to forever have your product associated with a flatulent monkey. If you’re selling food or drink (or really any product other than suppositories), bathroom humor is never the way to go. 3. Be abstract: Rule one and two aside, it’s better to have the director of “Jackass” in charge of your commercial than the director of “Memento.” Super Bowl viewers have short attention spans, demand to be entertained and are probably half-drunk and watching a bad football game. The last thing they want to watch is a 30-second art film, or a great advertisement where nobody remembers the product. 4. Be unoriginal: It wasn’t a Super Bowl ad, but Herbal Essences spent several years rolling out commercials that ripped off the fake orgasm scene in “When Harry Met Sally.” McDonalds once took a scene “Swingers,” and “Budweiser” borrowed from “Seinfeld.” Do ad companies actually get paid for this?
9. Sierra Mist — Bagpipe kilt ad (2004): On a hot day, a kilt-wearing bagpipe player breaks off from a parade and stands above an air conditioning grate — mimicking Marilyn Monroe’s famous scene in “The Seven Year Itch.”
1. Alienate potential customers: Unattractive women, overweight people and gay, lesbian and transgender consumers all like to spend money, too. So why do so many corporations choose to alienate — or outright mock — these groups?
What failed: How in the world is cold air blowing on an out-of-shape sweaty dude’s genitals supposed to make you feel like drinking a lemon-lime beverage? The ad would have made more tactical sense if he was drinking rival beverage Sprite.
The fallout: Three years later, Sierra Mist still plays John Stamos to Sprite’s George Clooney in the beverage market.
8. Budweiser — “Upside Down Clown” (2003): A clown with an upside-down suit walks into a bar, orders a Bud Light, and pours the drink into his mouth through an opening between the suit’s legs.
What failed: The only thing that works up less of a thirst less than thinking about a bagpiper’s naughty parts is watching a commercial where a clown appears to drink beer through his buttocks.
The fallout: Budweiser received just enough positive reinforcement from this commercial to come back the following year with something even more disgusting. (See number 5.)
7. Budweiser — “Bud Bowl VI” (1994): The fake football game between anthropomorphic bottles of Bud and Bud Light returns (again) with more predictable goofiness.
What failed: The Bud Bowl had few good ideas from the start. By Bud Bowl VI the commercials were physically painful to watch – with Marv Albert bleating about the antics of a profanity-spewing, break-dancing giant can. Coaches Mike Ditka and Bum Phillips showed up, looking visibly pained to be involved.
The fallout: After two more Bud Bowls, Budweiser canned the series, concentrating on their frog and lizard-themed ads.
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6. Dirt Devil — “Fred Astaire” (1997): Special effects allow legendary hoofer Fred Astaire to revisit some old dance moves – except this time his partner is a red vacuum cleaner.
What failed: A dead guy dancing with a vacuum? What’s next? Digging up Steve McQueen’s corpse so he can sell the new Ford Mustang?
The fallout: The public was split, with some people enjoying the ad while others found it creepy and disrespectful. Undeterred by the polarized criticism, Dirt Devil kept dead Fred on the air for much of the rest of the year.
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