“Could Michael Jordan and Larry Bird be Horsin’ Around for a Big Mac Faceoff?”
Should you be old enough to recall the 1990s, you undoubtedly recall the Super Bowl commercial that showcased an incredible H-O-R-S-E confrontation between Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, with a Big Mac at stake. Jackie Woodward has a clearer memory than most of us of the December 1992 shoot, which brought together director Joe Pytka and the creative duo of Jim Ferguson and Bob Shallcross from ad agency Leo Burnett for the McDonald’s commercial. Woodward was in charge of sports and celebrity marketing at the time as a senior director at the massive fast-food chain. After the advertisement was approved by her employer, Paul Schrage, the CMO of McDonald’s, Woodward was dispatched to the shoot to ensure everything went according to plan. The “The Showdown” advertisement went on to win USA Today’s.
Filming took place at Rosemont Horizon (renamed Allstate Arena in 1999), in Rosemont, Illinois, and Woodward recalls the headaches. The distance between the arena and O’Hare International Airport is not too great. “That day, the shoot took much longer than it should have because we were in the flight path,” she explained. “And I do remember that it was annoying for everyone.” Woodward observed that Bird and Jordan “were talkative with people — these guys know their job and they show up and do it.” Jordan had recently given birth to his daughter Jasmine, and Woodward recalls Jordan displaying his newborn’s photos to the film crew with pride.
As Jordan sits down with his lunch—a McDonald’s bag with a Big Mac and fries—Bird shoots baskets in an empty arena at the start of the commercial. After giving Jordan a challenge to play for it, Bird turns to face him and says, “First one to miss watches the winner eat.” He adds a warning shortly after, saying, “No dunking.” After that, Jordan and Bird square off in a series of absurd shots where they bounce balls off the scoreboard and over the rafters. At the top of the 100-story John Hancock Center in Chicago, Bird and Jordan are seen scheming shots for the final scene. Woodward stated that post-production was used to enhance the visuals and scenes that give the advertisement its powerful impact.
She gave credit to Pytka and the Leo Burnett advertising team for creating the enchanted advertisement, saying, “The fact that it’s still memorable thirty years later speaks for itself.” Because “The Showdown” was so well-liked, a sequel featuring Charles Barkley made its debut at the 1994 Super Bowl. Woodward was also there for that December 1993 shoot in Carefree, Arizona, which is close to Scottsdale.
