Classic TV Characters Return for Super Bowl XLV Commerical for NFL

Last night’s Super Bowl XLV (that’s 45 for those of us who don’t use Roman numerals) surely got some big ratings but we’ll have to see if the game surpassed the last episode of M*A*S*H like last year’s did. Regardless of the numbers, this year’s game made a connection to classic television in a different way.

A clever ad for the NFL used existing footage of current and classic TV shows. The clips from shows like Happy Days, Friends, Seinfeld, Cheers, How I Met Your Mother, The Simpsons, The Brady Bunch, Family Matters, and The Office, were digitally altered so that the characters were seen getting ready for the game. Appropriately, the theme playing the background was from Dallas.

Some serious thought clearly went into the ad too. Characters from different parts of the country were outfitted in their appropriate teams’ shirts, hats, and cheering equipment. There was surely a lot of happiness in the house of the Cunninghams from Milwaukee, Wisconsin last night.

If you missed the sixty-second commercial, take a look now…

NFL: Brand American

Here’s a look at the original footage, alongside the actual commercial…

What do you think? A classic commercial? The best of the night? If not, which one did you like better?