MacGruber Sells Out to Pepsi
In case you missed it, there was a bit of commercial fun this weekend even before Sunday’s big game.
Saturday Night Live’s running “MacGruber” gag became a product placement palooza for Pepsi—and a fun parody of the concept at the same time.
If you haven’t seen it, the skit is a takeoff on the old show “MacGyver,” whose hero could get out of any jam by making things out of found items like duct tape and chewing gum wrappers. Unlike MacGyver, MacGruber is completely incompetent.
In Saturday’s bits—made all the better thanks to a cameo by MacGyver himself, Richard Dean Anderson—MacGruber is shilling Pepsi, instead of diffusing a bomb. Here’s the first in the series of three spots.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Out of all the Super Bowl ads I saw last night, I thought this one was the dumbest.
I’m not sure what audience they’re targeting with this. It’s the type of ad that’s normally targeted to 20-something-year-olds who are really into slapstick — a la “Dumb and Dumber” — but the thing is, I’m not sure any of the younger folk would remember MacGyver all that well (except maybe through the SNL skits).
When the ship blew up at the end I didn’t even laugh. It was too predictable. I said to my wife: “Was that supposed to be funny?”
I thought the Coke commercials were much better than Pepsi’s. I loved the one where the insects steal the guy’s bottle of coke while he’s asleep in the park … great animation!
February 12th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I personaly thought the commercial was as genius as they say MacGruber himself is. And speaking on behalf of 20 somethings, of course we know who MacGyver is. The show ran until 1992 and it’s been in syndication ever since. Also, if you want MacGruber and other funny t-shirts check out www.sweeticet.com