As Good As It Gets

 
The Super Bowl occurs but once a year, and I can’t wait to see the featured commercials. As the most-watched sporting event, advertisers are reported to have paid as much as $5 million for a 30-second spot. For that kind of money, I don’t expect them to be the run-of-the-mill variety giving someone an excuse for a bathroom break.

Being featured in the Super Bowl does get a lot of attention. But this commercial from Wrigley’s is a winner in its own right. It’s about the story of a young couple named Sarah and Juan. When they first met, Sarah offered Juan a piece of gum. As fate would have it, he wasn’t offended. He didn’t misconstrue it as an indirect way of saying he had bad breath.

Juan kept the gum wrapper as a souvenir as well as those from the pieces of gum that she gave him all throughout their relationship. From the inside of these gum wrappers, he sketched and chronicled their love story. Spoiler alert. The commercial ended when he proposed to her and she accepted.

It doesn’t have to be February and close to Valentine’s Day to enjoy this commercial. It’s cheesy alright, but like the product it peddles, it lingers after the first chew (pardon the pun). If you’re a fan of Nicholas Parks, it might even get you teary-eyed. Don’t take my word for it. Watch it and judge for yourself.