On that fateful day in 1994, Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric were seated side by side on the set of The Today Show, attempting to sort out the translation of the “@” symbol. It was between takes, and Gumbel and Couric wondered aloud what in the world that symbol was supposed to mean. At? Around? About? A puzzle for the ages, indeed.
Then, as if as a gift to the Ghost of YouTube Future, Gumbel uttered the words that would—somewhat ironically—become internet gold: “What is internet anyway? What, do you write to it like mail?”
It was a simpler time.
Now, BMW is using this little gem of recent history in a hilarious new Superbowl commercial promoting its i3 electric vehicle. Titled “Newfangled idea,” the ingenious ad juxtaposes the 21-year-old clip of Gumbel and Couric with a scene of the twosome driving along in the present day, trying to figure out how the electric vehicle works.
It’s a nice encapsulation of the i3’s tagline: “Big ideas take a little getting used to.” But it also shows how far we’ve come in just 20 short years.
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