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What was (were) your favorite commercial(s) during Super Bowl 50!?

While this isn’t a “vintage” ad, this landmark 2011 Super Bowl spot encompasses OC,SH’s theme quite nicely, particularly since today is the start of CHD Awareness Week:

Entitled simply “The Force”, the VW ad shows a kid going through his home dressed as Darth Vader (Star Wars) attempting to use the “dark side” on everything from the family dog to the new Passat; his powers finally work on the Passat.

That kid, though, Max Page (now 11 years old), has far better powers as a survivor. He was born with a congenital heart defect, Tetralogy of Fallot, which basically involves 4 heart abnormalities & is the most common cyanotic heart defect & most common cause of blue baby syndrome:

Max’s 1st open heart surgery (OHS) was when he was 3 months old; now, he’s had 11 surgeries, including 2 in 2015 to install a valve & a new pacemaker. These days, he plays baseball in the Dana Point Pony League & is an actor, including a 72-episode stint on CBS’ “The Young & The Restless”.

The commercial for the 2012 VW Passat was a trailblazer. Facing difficult circumstances (not advertising in the Super Bowl for over a decade, competitors with higher ad budgets, etc.), VW made the controversial decision to air this ad on YouTube BEFORE the “big game”. Released on Wednesday, the video had received nearly 2 million views by 8a Thursday, with 17 million views by kickoff. The success of this ad changed how companies handle Super Bowl ads, with many airing entire commercials or special teasers way before the game & including some form of social media campaign for weeks … or months … around the Super Bowl appearance.