Every year, the Super Bowl delivers a fresh set of commercials to the airwaves, some more memorable than others. Twenty years ago, an advertisement for a new product debuted at Super Bowl XVII, and decades later, I still can't hear the song featured without thinking of the product being advertised, which just goes to show how effective a good advertising campaign can be. I am referring to Crystal Pepsi, the clear cola.
Twenty years ago (yesterday, in fact), Pepsi blasted Van Halen's "Right Now" through our TVs during the Super Bowl in an effort to make known their new product, Crystal Pepsi, a caffeine-free carbonated beverage that they called a taste of the future. Really, it turned out to be the taste of 1992-1993, as the drink never really took, even with their aggressive marketing campaign. In honor of the commercial's 20th anniversary, grab yourself something clear to drink and watch the ad.
The "Right Now" commercial wasn't the first time Pepsi used music to advertise their product, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but the Van Halen ad left a lasting impression on me. I can't tell you what Crystal Clear Pepsi tasted like (beyond "soda"), though I know I had some. But the memory of the ad is crystal clear. (Sorry).
If watching the commercial made you nostalgic for Van Halen's original music video for their song, which was released the year before the commercial and has a similar theme of using words and imagery, here it is…
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