Joe: "Hey kid, catch." Kid: "Wow, thanks Mean Joe."

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One such ad, released on October 1, 1979, became one of the most famous Coke commercials, captivating audiences almost as much as had the "Hilltop" commercial eight years earlier. Written by Penny Hawkey, produced by Jean-Claude Kaufman, with art direction by Roger Mosconi and direction by Lee Lacy, the commercial known as "Mean Joe Greene" featured the defensive lineman of that nickname from the Pittsburgh Steelers professional football team and a twelve-year-old boy, Tommy Okon.

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