Two Super Bowl Ads Pay Tribute to ‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’
Last year, Flashdance celebrated its 40th anniversary. The film stars Jennifer Beals as a young dancer hoping to one day become a professional ballerina, working by day in a steel mill in Pittsburgh. By night, she performs self-choreographed dances at Mawby’s Bar. The 1983 film became one of Jerry Bruckheimer‘s most famous productions and can be considered one of the most popular ’80s films of all time. I mean, who can forget the chair dancing scene?
As Super Bowl commercials get more and more nostalgic over the years, this year was no exception. Seemingly in honor of the film’s 40th anniversary, including the song “Flashdance… What A Feeling” by the late Irene Cara, two ads featured the classic song this year.
T-Mobile brought back Scrubs stars and real-life best friends Zach Braff and Donald Faison. In the past, their ads featured nods to Grease and West Side Story. This year, they were joined by Jason Momoa, who sang about home internet and getting rid of cable to the tune of the iconic song. There was a nod to Beals’ Flashdance movie poster, with her gray sweatshirt hanging off her shoulder (can you think of a more ’80s look?). Beals even makes a surprise cameo at the end!
Paramount/Everett Collection
Nerds Candy jumped in on the nostalgia and shared an ad that mimics the movie’s audition scene, this time featuring Nerds Candy characters. The end featured a quick cameo by TikTok star Addison Rae and we wonder if this was a missed opportunity to feature a star from Flashdance instead? Beals had probably already signed on to the T-Mobile ad, but perhaps they could have asked another star from the film. Find out what the cast of Flashdance is up to now!
Remind Check out the ads below and let us know which one is your favorite!
’80s Where Are They Now
March 2023
Who can forget all the great TV shows, movies and music of the ‘80s? See what your favs are up to now!
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