Every generation's pop culture has its rebellion icons. Most were fighting oppression of the individual spirit or the smothering conformity of social norms.
But I'm a child of the '80s, and we had Ferris Bueller.
He wasn't looking to dismantle the military-industrial complex or topple a dystopian tyrant. He just...wanted a day off.
Bueller, the smooth-talking high schooler played by Matthew Broderick in 1986's "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," represented a different (albeit singularly suburban) form of rebellion. All he wanted to do was create a brief moment of freedom alongside his friends between the structured daily life of school, the stress of college and the endless drudgery of working the rest of your life until the inevitable embrace of eternity.
I still think about it.
Because we all still want that. We all think that if we could just get ONE MOMENT away from the incessant responsibilities and expectations of life—if we could just spend ONE FLEETING HOUR as the Sausage King of Chicago—we could know true happiness.
Has there ever been a more perfect, idealized and impossible dream for advertising to embrace?
That's why I'm never surprised when I see Ferris Bueller referenced in ads, all these decades later. Sure, there's the basic appeal of nostalgia for a simpler time (assuming, once again, that you were white and wealthy in the suburbs...which is a pretty steep caveat), but there's also the unique setup of a movie that just wants to create a few moments to breathe rather than reboot the entirety of society.
Today's installment: Garage door opener brand LiftMaster recreates the moment when Bueller and his proto-emo friend Cameron Frye stole the gorgeous Ferrari 250 GT California owned by Frye's dad.
As you might imagine, the situation plays out a bit different this time.
A few other memorable moments in Buellertising:
• Honda's 2012 Super Bowl ad featuring the man himself, Matthew Broderick, playing a sort of hybrid of his real-life self and his famous character. Agency RPA still gets credit for making one of my favorite Super Bowl ads of all time.
• Domino's 2017 recreation of the movie's famous running-home scene, this time cast with Stranger Things' Joe Keery. Agency: CPB.
• Xfinity's 2019 ad shot at Ferris Bueller's house from the movie, though the plot was tangential at best.
I think we can safely put Bueller back on ice for a decade or so. Which begs the question:
What nostalgia-drenched movie or show should marketers obsess over next? Which trend can we jump on now before it gets squeezed to a husk?
Let me know your picks at the email below or at @Griner on Twitter.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
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