Wayne Gretsky takes a slightly drunken friend's keys and drives him home in the friend's vehicle … a zamboni. It’s a clever use of celebrity from Budweiser and DDB Chicago, part of Omnicom Group, yielding a more appealing responsibility message than some.
Budweiser would arguably continue to improve at the genre, actually, with new designated-driver Super Bowl spots starring Tim McGraw in 2002 ("Designated Driver"), Cedric the Entertainer in 2005 ("Dance") and Helen Mirren in 2016 ("Simply Put").
Hockey’s “Great One” had previously appeared in the Super Bowl in 1989, promoting Diet Coke alongside Don Johnson ("The Move Is On").
BRAND: Budweiser
YEAR: 2000
AGENCY: DDB
SUPERBOWL: XXXIV