Diet Pepsi Max brings back the Roxbury head bob in Super Bowl ad
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Diet Pepsi Max, which earlier this football season brought us the Wade Phillips/Tony Romo “60 Stretch Far Laaaaaah” ill-fated play call, spreads its “Wake Up!” message to a citywide dance floor with a Super Bowl ad featuring LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Chris Kattan, Missy Elliott and Macy Gray.
The 60-second spot pulls from the old Saturday Night Live skit Roxbury skit that featured Kattan and Will Ferrell, bobbing their heads to Haddaway’s “What Is Love” in desperate attempts to drive around New York City and pick up chicks.
The ad begins with sports announcer Joe Buck dozing off as color commentator Troy Aikmen analyzes the first half of the Super Bowl, noting that one of the quarterbacks looks as comfortable as he’s seen in the pocket. (The ad hedges its bets by not mentioning a name.)
The dance-beat of “What Is Love” kicks in as the screen shows people nodding off at a factory assembly line, a valet station, a diner counter, a sushi restaurant and a game show set. LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes begin to fade during an award ceremony set to honor the “Song of the Year,” and a father pushing his daughter on the swing is abruptly thrown back onto the ground.
Then everyone pounds down a caffeine-laced Diet Pepsi Max and they all start doing the Roxbury dance with more vigor.
Kattan, picking up his dry cleaning, sees two women doing the dance and screams, “Stop It!” and storms off.
The ad ends with Joe Buck’s attempts at the dance, which is absolutely pathetic. We can only hope that was done for comic effect.
Pretty funny ad, although I’m sure it’ll wear out its welcome rather quickly.
