Hey Kid, Catch!

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Hey Kid, Catch!
Agency McCann Erickson
Client The Coca-Cola Company
LanguageEnglish
Running time1 minute
Product
Release date(s)October 1, 1979 (1979-10-01)
Written byPenny Hawkey
Directed byN. Lee Lacy
Music by"Coke and a Smile"
Starring
Production
company		N. Lee Lacy/ Associates Ltd.
CountryUnited States

"Hey Kid, Catch!" is a television commercial for Coca-Cola starring Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene. The commercial debuted on October 1, 1979, and was re-aired multiple times, most notably during Super Bowl XIV in 1980. The 60-second commercial won a Clio Award for being one of the best television commercials of 1979. [1]

Contents

During its planning and filming stages, McCann Erickson, the advertising agency that created the commercial, used the working title "Mean Joe Greene". The commercial was a part of Coca-Cola's "Have a Coke and a Smile" ad campaign of the late 1970s.

The commercial

After sustaining an injury during a football game, Greene is limping alone into the tunnel toward the Steelers' locker room when a young boy (played by Tommy Okon) comes up behind him offering his help, which Greene declines. After telling Greene that he still thinks he is the best, the boy offers him his bottle of Coke; Greene sheepishly accepts it with thanks and drinks the entire bottle as the boy quietly says "See ya 'round" and slowly walks away. When Greene finishes the Coke he turns back to the boy and says "Hey, kid... catch," tossing his jersey (slung over his shoulder) to the surprised boy who happily says "Wow! Thanks, Mean Joe!" Greene casts a smile toward the boy before continuing his trek to the locker room.

Production notes and accolades

The campaign's director was N. Lee Lacy, the art director was Roger Mosconi, the writer was Penny Hawkey, and the singers of the "Coke and a Smile" jingle were Jim Campbell, Don Thomas, Liz Corrigan, Shellie Littman, Arlene Martell, and Linda November. The footage was shot in May 1979 at a small stadium in Mount Vernon, New York, and the commercial first aired on October 1, 1979, on ABC's Monday Night Football , though its airing during Super Bowl XIV in 1980 brought it the most attention due to the program's enormous audience. [2] [3] Coincidentally, the Steelers played in Super Bowl XIV, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 31–19.

The commercial has been listed as one of the top ads of all time by multiple sources, including TV Guide . The ad later received worldwide acclaim when it was re-filmed in various countries using local sports figures such as Diego Maradona, Niwat Srisawat and Zico. [4] [5]

Greene later recalled that in filming the commercial, it took several takes to get his final line in the commercial in without burping. "Between me belching and going to the men's room, it took three days to film it," Greene recalled. [6] The end of the commercial was also shown during the 2004 film Miracle when the USA vs. USSR hockey game was on a commercial break.

In 2016 Joe reunited with Tommy Okon during a two-hour CBS special filmed at Apogee Stadium in Denton, Texas honoring Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials. [7] Greene speaking with Okon almost 40 years since the original filming said to Okon “It’s great to see you. My God, look at you. I don’t need to look down here anymore!” [8]

The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid

A made-for-TV movie [9] that was loosely based on the commercial starring Greene and Henry Thomas instead of Tommy Okon as the kid aired on NBC on November 15, 1981. In the film, the team temporarily adopts a 9-year-old boy where Greene takes on a fatherly role as he teaches the boy some valuable lessons.

Parodies and homages

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References

  1. ↑ "The 10 Best Award-Winning TV Ads Everyone Must See". Business Insider. January 18, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  2. ↑ Isaacs, Stan (December 17, 1979). "Mean Joe: Goliath plays Othello". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Singers' Seminar explores steps to success" (PDF). AFTRA . New York. Fall 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2011. At the request of the singers in the audience, Arlene sang "A Coke and a Smile", a classic jingle with Mean Joe Green which has played every year for a decade on Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials, and in 2009 was voted into the Super Bowl Hall of Fame. Singers on the commercial are Jim Campbell, Don Thomas, Liz Corrigan, Shellie Littman, Arlene Martell, and Linda November
  4. ↑ Katz, Mike; Mifflin, Lawrie (June 18, 1982). "SCOUTING; Mean Joe Maradona". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ Jones, Zachary & Betsy (February 3, 2016). "Espacio Publicitario: Coca-Cola: Joe Greene, Maradona & Zico". Zambombazo. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ Fowler, Scott (March 1, 1992). "Mean Joe Greene's biggest hit was also his most memorable 'catch'". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  7. ↑ "'Mean' Joe Greene commercial has local ties".
  8. ↑ "'Mean' Joe Greene Reunites with Original Coca-Cola Kid 40 Years Later". July 18, 2018.
  9. ↑ https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/478596/the-steeler-and-the-pittsburgh-kid/ The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid (1981) - TCM
  10. ↑ Pepsi - Shaq - Shaquille O'Neil Commercial
  11. ↑ The Big Game XXIX: Bugs vs. Daffy (commercial stars at 3:30/1:05:57)
  12. ↑ Hinds, Julie (February 2, 2009). "Super Bowl ads deliver big laughs". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Coke to reprise 'Mean Joe' commercial for Super Bowl". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  14. ↑ Davis, Glenn (January 31, 2011). "ESPN'S Michelle Beadle Shoots Some Super Bowl Commercials (Mean Joe Greene is mentioned in the article)" . Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Former Seaside boy set to appear in Super Bowl commercial Sunday". The Daily Astorian. Astoria, Oregon. February 4, 2011. Archived from the original on February 6, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  16. ↑ McManis, Andrew (January 31, 2012). "Coke's Classic Super Bowl Ad Gets 'Stinky'" . Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  17. ↑ Grant, Erin (January 3, 2016). "DeMarcus Cousins Recreates Mean Joe Greene Coke Ad For All-Star Voting [VIDEO]" . Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Mean John Fetterman" |Fetterman for Senate
  19. ↑ "Resurfaced John Fetterman 'Mean' Joe Greene-Inspired Ad Viewed 2M Times". MSN. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
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