Super Bowl XXIV marked the second big-game appearance for "Lock Abuse," one of Master Lock and Cramer-Krasselt's many appearances on advertising's biggest stage. The spot, which replaced "Tough Variety" in 1998, would make two more trips to the Super Bowl stage before it, too, was replaced by a new creative execution ("I'd Leave").

Neil Casey, the Cramer-Krasselt creative director and copywriter who created the ad with art director Dave Hofmann, told the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1994 that re-examining the creative was an annual exercise for Master Lock marketers:

"Every year, there's an evaluation, part hunch and part science. Has the commercial worn out or does it still have life?" said Casey.

Test groups are used for as many as five concepts each time a new commercial is proposed. A creative team of three, backed by account service people, a commercial film studio, sound people and outside editors, work months on the commercial, he said.

BRAND: Master Lock

YEAR: 1990

AGENCY: Cramer-Krasselt

SUPERBOWL: XXIV

QUARTER AIRED: Q1