Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. star in 'Dirty Dancing' Super Bowl ad for NFL

Erik Brady | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Ad Meter 2018: NFL 2 Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. star in this ad for the NFL.

Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. danced at the Super Bowl. And it looked like they were having the time of their lives.

The New York Giants stars two-stepped their way through the NFL’s Super Bowl ad in a spot-on parody of the Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey dance scene from the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing.

The commercial — set to the song (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life — was filmed in one day a couple of weeks ago at the Giants practice facility, according to Jaime Weston, NFL senior vice president of marketing. The ad finished a close second to Amazon’s “Alexa Lost her Voice” in USA TODAY’s 30th Ad Meter, presented by Kia, a ranking of ads based on consumer rankings.

“When the guys got there in the morning they got to work with the choreographer,” Weston says. “We were so lucky to have Stephanie Klemons, the choreographer on Hamilton. They came in, they were serious and they got to work learning their moves. While the shoot was being set up, they were on the other side of the field learning their steps.”

The NFL used to penalize touchdown celebrations. Now it choreographs them.

“We received a handful of concepts” from Grey, the ad agency, Weston says, “but when this one came in we said, ‘This is it.’”

Giants offensive linemen Brett Jones, John Greco, Chad Wheeler, D.J. Fluker and John Jerry joined in as backup dancers. Safety Landon Collins, on the sideline, got off a memorable line from the movie: “Let them dance.”

More:

All the Super Bowl 2018 ads from the first half in the order they were released

All the Super Bowl 2018 ads from the second half in the order they were released

“Just a little nod there, we thought, was perfect,” Weston says.

“That was actually my pick as the best spot of the Super Bowl,” says Shawn McBride, executive vice president, sports, for Ketchum Sports & Entertainment. “The first thought that went through my mind was: ‘This ad is positioning Eli as the heir to Peyton’s title as MVP — most valuable pitchman — of the NFL.’”

Weston says the NFL stands apart from the day’s other advertisers. “The unique challenge that we have with Super Bowl advertising that other brands don’t,” she says, “is we’re tasked to create a brand statement within our greatest brand statement — the game.”

So what might Vince Lombardi have thought if Bart Starr and Max McGee, Green Bay Packers stars of Super Bowl I, danced in the end zone?

“I can’t say what they would have thought or done,” Weston says, “but we’ve really been thrilled with the reaction from our fans around the spot.”