“Mean” Joe Greene Coca-Cola Campaign Remains the Holy Grail of Super Bowl Ads

In an era defined by media fragmentation, on-demand viewing, ad avoidance, and algorithmic feeds, few moments still deliver collective attention at scale. The Super Bowl brings together more than 100 million people globally, at the same time, in the same cultural moment, with a rare openness to advertising not as interruption, but as entertainment.

A Near-Perfect Example: “Mean” Joe Greene commercial that is still ingrained in my memory from when I was a kid. For those not old enough to recall this iconic ad that aired during Super Bowl XIV on Jan 20, 1980, this was a Coca Cola ad that focused on emotional story telling before there was an internet nor social media and before influencer media was a term. The ad tells a simple but heartwarming story: the tough, intimidating Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman “Mean” Joe Greene is approached by a young fan offering him a Coke. After initially refusing, Greene smiles and says, “hey kid - catch” as he tosses his jersey and the young fan beams. It’s a classic underdog/connection narrative that pulls at emotions.

Decades later, it remains one of the most referenced Super Bowl ads of all time -- not because it drove immediate sales, but because it built enduring brand equity.

In Holy Grail terms, earned media is where message, environment, timing, and outcome collide -- and where return on investment is truly unlocked.

An optimal Super Bowl advertising campaign represents marketing at its highest level: one powerful idea, delivered to the right person, with the right message, in the right environment, at the right time -- amplified through earned media to achieve the right outcome. It is not just a media buy; it is orchestration.

That is why the Super Bowl remains the most expensive -- and most coveted -- stage in marketing. The cost of Super Bowl advertising has increased dramatically since the first Super Bowl in 1967, when a 30-second ad sold for approximately $42,000. Today, that same unit can cost up to $10 million -- before production.

What was the most watched Super Bowl? The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 for the most-watched Super Bowl in history. With 123.4 million average viewers, it's also the most-watched telecast of any type. This game played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas also recorded the highest ticket prices ever for a Super Bowl with tickets never falling below $8,700.

More importantly, Super Bowl advertising lives far beyond the game itself. Ads are discussed before kickoff, judged in real time, dissected afterward, and shared across social, news, and culture for weeks. When successful, they become part of the cultural conversation.

Growing up, we went every year to watch the Super Bowl at my Uncle Frank’s and Aunt Nancy’s house. It was always a packed home, filled with our large extended Licciardi family. The television sat on the floor in the living room, while Uncle Frank -- pipe in hand -- held court from a large leather couch at the center of it all. Everything revolved around him.

I watched the game lying on my back at his feet, while family members stepped over me to grab food and drinks. It was loud, crowded, and unforgettable.

Aunt Nancy always made a delicious Super Bowl champagne punch, a family favorite we still serve to this day. And in many ways, the ingredients of that punch mirror the ingredients of great Super Bowl advertising: the right mix, served at the right time, in the right setting, surrounded by the right people.

When all of those elements come together, the outcome is something far greater than the sum of its parts -- shared experience, emotional connection, and memories that last a lifetime. That is the true Holy Grail of Marketing.

Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership self-publishing platform.

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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.org/MyersBizNet.