Nicknamed “Terrible” for good reason, Terry Tate enforced office rules with physical force—exactly why the fictional firm Felcher & Sons brought him on to police workplace behavior. The over-the-top, bone-rattling comedy became one of the earliest true viral ads, and remarkably, it still holds up decades later as a gold standard of branded entertainment, despite debuting before the term was even common. It also turned Lester Speight into a breakout star.
2004: Honda “Raised by Wolves” by RPA
For years, car commercials followed a familiar formula: glossy beauty shots designed to thrill auto enthusiasts. Honda swerved away from that approach during the 2004 Super Bowl, spotlighting the driver instead. Character actor and comedian Scott Adsit delivered a deadpan performance as a mild-mannered werewolf navigating daily life, from slurping water straight from the office cooler to stalking animals on a camping trip. The faux-documentary style grounded the absurd premise and made it work.
2005: Ameriquest “Don’t Judge Too Quickly (Surprise Dinner)” by DDB LA
The mortgage lender made an unusually big splash during the 2005 Super Bowl, backing the halftime show and airing four commercials from its “Don’t Judge Too Quickly” campaign. Two of those ads cracked the USA Today Ad Meter top 10, outperforming heavyweights like Pepsi. While the creative stood on its own, it ultimately marked the brand’s peak. A few years later, the company collapsed amid the housing crash and predatory lending fallout of 2007.
2006: FedEx “Stick” by BBDO New York
One thing Super Bowl viewers reliably enjoy is a twist ending, and in 2006, FedEx delivered. Stepping away from its usual office humor, the brand aired a prehistoric vignette in which a caveman uses a pterodactyl for package delivery, only to have the creature eaten by a T-rex. The caveman is fired by his furious boss, despite the obvious logistical challenges of shipping packages 65 million years ago. Let’s just say, his day continues to spiral from there.
