5. Coca-Cola - "Mean Joe"
I'm probably biased, having lived in Pennsylvania for two years, but I think that the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best NFL team that there's ever been and ever will be. This classic Coke ad exploited the team, placing the Steelers' famous defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene in a commercial that's now considered to be one of the greatest ever filmed. The ad opens on Mean Joe entering the tunnels of Heinz Field after making his way through a throng of fans, followed by a young boy. The boy calls out to Joe; Greene turns and replies with a terse "Yeah?" The boy showers some praise on Joe and offers to help him with his pads, but Greene brushes the kid off. In a last-ditch effort to connect with his idol, the boy offers Greene his Coke. Greene initially rejects the offer, but he eventually accepts. He takes the Coke and downs it in one long gulp, looking like Popeye swallowing a can of spinach as he does so. The kid, disappointed that his idol's brushed him off, starts to shuffle off, only to be called back by Greene, having downed his Coke. Greene takes his jersey off his shoulder and tosses it to the kid, who catches it and utters his now-famous response of "Wow! Thanks, Mean Joe!" I'm not ashamed to admit that this commercial moved me to tears when I saw it on TV Land as a kid; in fact, I can feel a lump forming in my throat watching it even now. I'm not really sure why the ad affects me so deeply; maybe it's something about meeting your idol and coming away with just a high opinion of him as you had when you came up to him. Maybe it's the kid's excitement at Greene's gift; maybe it's Greene's smile at the end of the ad. At any rate, it does what any good commercial (or any work of art, really) should; it burrows itself into the viewer's psyche and moves him or her. Incidentally, if you're interested in learning more about this ad than you ever wanted to know, check out
this article. Actually, the site that hosts the article is pretty cool; operated by the Coca-Cola Company, the "Stories" section is filled with interesting articles about different aspects of Coke's history, both savory and unsavory, and its ad campaigns. Check it out if you've got time.