Super Bowl XLIV reunited viewers with pop-culture stars past including Abe Vigoda (Snickers' "Game"), Kiss ("Little Kiss") and, here, Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo as the Griswolds -- from National Lampoon's "Vacation" comedies of the '80s. The pitch: If you don't want their luck, skip the crappy motel and rent somebody's house. It scans for HomeAway, the five-year-old vacation rental home service making its Super Bowl debut in this spot by Seattle-based Publicis in the West.

“In just five years, HomeAway has become the largest international company in the industry, yet most consumers are still unfamiliar with vacation rentals,” founder and CEO Brian Sharples said in a press release describing the company's decision to buy into the Super Bowl. "Now is the right time to catapult our successful online marketing efforts with a major national brand and awareness-building campaign that will not only showcase vacation rentals as a better alternative to hotels, but also reinforce HomeAway as the vacation rental leader.” 

The company would return to the Super Bowl in 2011, though its sophomore effort would provoke a stronger reaction than intended ("Test Baby"). Expedia acquired HomeAway for $3.9 billion in December 2015.

Director: Bryan Buckely, whose many other Super Bowl ads include FedEx's "Desert Island," Monster.com's "When I Grow Up," TurboTax's "Love Hurts," SodaStream's "Saving the World," CareerBuilder.com's "Monkeys," H&R Block's "Murray" and Burger King's "America's Favorite." Production company: Hungry Man.

BRAND: HomeAway

YEAR: 2010

AGENCY: Publicis

SUPERBOWL: XLIV

QUARTER AIRED: Q3