ABSTRACT
Francisco ers defeated the Denver Broncos, –, a triumph engineered with daz-
zling skill by quarterback Joe Montana, making him for the moment the most famous
and admired athlete in America. The ers’ victory came as good news for Ray Charles
because, in commercial breaks worth $, per thirty seconds, Pepsi-Cola began
running the Ray-and-Joe buddy ads. Montana’s golden charm contrasted nicely with
Ray’s dark, rambunctious style in the simply filmed spots, and millions of Super Bowl
viewers got a kick out of the good-natured sparring that sweetened the commercial mes-
sage: “Diet Pepsi-you got the right one, baby.”
