In 1984, Democrats needed a candidate to challenge the very popular Republican incumbent President Ronald Reagan. Democratic frontrunner Walter Mondale, an ex-U.S. senator and state attorney general from Minnesota who had also served as Jimmy Carter’s vice president, seemed as though he would be a shoo-in for the presidency; this was confirmed with his dominating Iowa Caucus win.
Yet, at the caucus, a lesser-known U.S. senator from Colorado fared much better than expected. Still, nobody really paid much attention to Gary Hart. That is until he shocked the political world by winning the New Hampshire primary. Though 10 years younger than Mondale, Hart, another Democrat, seemed like a different generation. His youth and charisma reminded voters of Kennedy–something he did not try to discourage.
Hart then continued his run, winning both Vermont and Wyoming. He insisted he was a new type of Democrat who had new ideas. He wanted to cut taxes while at the same time increase welfare and healthcare for all. What helped halt Hart’s momentum was during the March 11th televised debate after Hart laid out his plan, Mondale turned to the camera and said, “Where’s the beef?”
Mondale’s question implied Hart was all talk and no substance. While the slogan itself did not solely defeat Hart, it did stick to his campaign and made more people question his policies.
The line resonated with voters because it had recently aired as a slogan for Wendy’s Restaurants during the previous Super Bowl. The commercial starred three elderly ladies eating at Home of the Big Bun. When one lady opened her burger to find an exaggerated tiny hamburger patty, she exclaimed, “Where’s the beef?”
It’s no surprise that Super Bowl commercials made their way into political campaigns. Super Bowls in this country are a big deal. In fact, of the top 30 most watched television programs of all time, 23 are Super Bowls.
Part of the reason for large crowds is that many Americans love football. But that alone does not account for such high ratings. Another major factor are the commercials. Even viewers who are not sports fans watch this one game more and more regularly because of the heartwarming, comedic or even sometimes outlandish advertisements.
During the regular season only 35% of women watch football. Super Bowl ratings show that number jumps up to 75%. That is a huge leap! And it’s mostly because of commercials. Even for men, the next morning around the water cooler, it seems like more are debating which were the best commercials more than recapping the plays on the field. Commercials have taken the Super Bowl from a paramount sporting event to a cultural phenomenon.
“Where’s the beef?” is not the only phrase to make it into our everyday vocabulary. In 1993, after Larry Bird and Michael Jordan played the greatest game of HORSE ever for a Big Mac and fries, the phrase “nothing but net” became the catchphrase that is now heard during every basketball contest from schoolyard picks to the NBA. In 2010, the E*TRADE baby first used the line, “Well, that’s going to cost you a lot of money.” That phrase has been used in boardrooms ever since. Of course, let’s not forget that in 2002 the greeting for any group of guys became “Whassup” after the Budweiser commercial.
While “Where’s the Beef” may be the most famous example of the relationship between the Super Bowl and politics, there have always been subtle political or cultural messages–especially recently.
Many ads have catered to the left’s message of diversity and inclusion. Coca-Cola’s “It’s Beautiful” 2014 commercial showed every shade of humanity while “America the Beautiful” played in multiple languages, and Airbnb’s 2017 “We Accept” commercial was pretty much the same as Coke’s, but with pictures of diverse people and written text claiming they accept everyone. Days after President Donald Trump announced his travel ban, Budweiser showed the harrowing immigrant story of their German co-founder, Adolphus Busch. And finally, Audi’s daughter ad with a father concerned that his daughter would not be treated fairly in a soapbox derby race full of boys aired in 2017.
The right has also had their share of ads like the Servant Foundation’s “He Gets Us” campaign with the message that Jesus loves them, and a string of patriotic ads like the NFL’s Ragged Old Flag in 2020, and Chrysler’s 2012 “It’s Halftime in America” commercial starring Clint Eastwood. But probably the most notable is from 2002, when Budweiser’s famous Clydesdales kneeled to honor the victims of 9/11. With no dialogue, the reverent Budweiser commercial aired only once.
While the first Super Bowl was in 1967, most consider the first famous Super Bowl commercial came a few years later in 1973. The ad was for Noxzema Shaving Cream and the company cracked at least one successful code by using celebrities to push their products. This particular ad had Farrah Fawcett from Charlie’s Angels smearing shaving cream all over the face of New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath with the tagline, “Let Noxzema cream your face.” The line might not get past censors today, but it opened the door to famous football players and models—think “Mean” Joe Green or Cindy Crawford.
Finally, it should be noted that the 1973 Noxzema commercial cost a whopping $42,000, (roughly $288,000 today) while 30-second spots for this year’s game ran for around a measly $7 million. Yet, as more than 100 million consumers were expected to tune in, for companies with the means, it is worth it. If Super Bowl commercials can stand out, advertisers’ brands become immortal.
James Finck is a professor of history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He may be reached at HistoricallySpeaking1776@gmail.com.