What Only Seinfeld Fans Notice About Tide's Jason Alexander Hoodie Commercial
The biggest sporting event of the year is on the horizon, with Super Bowl LV primed to take over the public consciousness from now until it concludes on the evening of February 7, 2021. The obvious reason to tune in, for the majority of viewers, is the football game itself — which pits the Kansas City Chiefs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — but it's not the sole factor in the event's high viewership. Whether you enjoy the main attraction on its own or not, the plethora of must-see commercials that play during its breaks is a draw every season. This Super Bowl proves no exception, as major companies are going all-in with their advertising, per usual.
Just take a look at laundry detergent brand Tide for a fine example of the big game's traditional effect on how businesses market their products. This year's advertisement features a hoodie emblazoned with the face of the famous comedian and Seinfeld star, Jason Alexander, across the torso. The bulk of the clip is a montage, with the odd article of clothing facing every situation from being sat on to having food splatter on it — leading Alexander's portrait to change expression accordingly.
Throughout this sequence, a recognizable track plays in the background, which die-hard Seinfeld fans will recognize as a nod to the iconic sitcom.
Tide's Super Bowl ad calls back to George Costanza's answering machine message
In the aforementioned Tide commercial, as the Jason Alexander hoodie endures some harsh predicaments, Joey Scarbury's biggest hit, "Believe It or Not," starts to play. The song served as the theme for the ABC series The Greatest American Hero from 1981 to 1983, helping earn its place among the decade's many defining tracks. But, for those well-versed in their Seinfeld history, they'll recognize the song as the one parodied in the season 8 episode "The Susie" from 1997.
This Seinfeld installment sees George Costanza (Jason Alexander) prepare to make a grand entrance with his girlfriend, Allison (Shannon Kenny), at his boss' upcoming banquet. However, his plans are in jeopardy when she begins to break up with him, leading him to avoid speaking to her at all costs so she can't go through with it. He even alters his answering machine message so he could screen callers, singing to them: "Believe it or not, George isn't home. Please leave a message after the beep. I must be out or I'll pick up the phone. Where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home," to the tune of Scarbury's song.
Tragically for Costanza, his efforts to keep Allison at bay, and preview his telephone calls, ultimately fail. She uses Kramer (Michael Richards) to convey the message to him, depriving him of his moment in the spotlight at the gala.
Thankfully, his hoodie doppelganger from the Tide commercial gets a much happier ending — finally receiving the wash it desperately needs, and even running into the real Jason Alexander at a traffic stop. Suffice to say, this will stand as one of Super Bowl LV's most memorable ads, especially for the enduring Seinfeld fan base.