Time would later call "The Force" the ad “that changed Super Bowl commercials forever." But in 2011 that meant something different than in 1984. 

For Volkswagen's "The Force," it was all about the pre-release on the wen. It wasn’t the first time a brand released its commercial before the big game, of course, or racked up millions of of online consumer views in the process. But "The Force" was more successful at the tactic than any ad prior, and as such started a stampede of brands looking to copy that success.

The ad, created by VW agency Deutsch, had more than 10 million views and got more than 10,000 social media comments before the game even started. By the Monday morning after Super Bowl XLV, the ad had 15 million views. By Tuesday, 20 million.

According to Kantar Media’s measurement of 195 placements of "The Force" around the web, combined with VW’s other ad, "Black Beetle," the carmaker earned more than $600,000 in free media just days after the Super Bowl aired, Ad Age reported at the time. By 2015, "The Force" still had the most shares of any Super Bowl ad,  at 5.3 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Director/DP: Lance Acord. Production Company: Park Pictures. Director of photography: Albert Ken. Executive producer: Mary Ann Marino. Executive producer/owner: Jackie Kelman Bisbee. Line producer: Patricia Frazier. Head of production: Dinah Rodriguez. Production designer: Jeff Mann. Costume designer: Melinda Eshelman.

Deutsch exec VP/group creative director/copywriter: Eric Springer. Exec VP/group creative director/art director: Michael Kadin. Senior copywriter: David Povill. Senior art director: Ryan McLaughlin. Art director: Craig Melchiano. Exec VP, director of integrated production: Vic Palumbo. Senior VP, director of broadcast production: Victoria Guenier. Producer: Jim Haight. Associate producer: Brooke Yaussi.

Volkswagen VP-marketing: Tim Ellis. General manager of brand marketing: Brian Thomas.

Editorial: Union. Editor: Jim Haygood. Assistant editor: Dylan Firshein. Executive producer: Michael Raimondi. Post Facility: CO3. Telecine artist: Stefan Sonnenfeld. Producer: Megan Dahlman.

Track: "The Imperial March." Original composer: John Williams. Music composer: Mary Catherine Finney. Arranger/sound designer: Jeff Elmassian. Sound designer: Scott Friedman. Audio post company: Lime Studios. Sound engineer: Mark Meyhaus. 

BRAND: Volkswagen

YEAR: 2011

AGENCY: Deutsch

SUPERBOWL: XLV

QUARTER AIRED: Q2