The NFL is calling an audible for its Super Bowl ad.
Though the league brought together several stars, including Myles Garrett and Pat McAfee, for its “Flag 50″ ad in Super Bowl 59, this time around, the NFL is looking for a quiet but resonating moment.
In its new 60-second Super Bowl ad, “Champion,” which airs right before the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, the NFL is leaving the stars on the sidelines. Instead, the ad focuses on the importance of youth coaches, with the creative featuring a young boy (Brayon Cutrer) who gives a speech to his toys, echoing a speech he received from his own coach (Dushaun Thompson).
“I am a champion,” the boy says, as the scene cuts back and forth between his room and the speech from his coach. The ad ends with the tagline “belief is a superpower” and a message thanking coaches.
The spot, created once again with longtime creative partner 72andSunny, was deliberately designed to leave out the stars. Even the partners in the ad, Hasbro, Disney, Mattel, FOCO, Funko Pop, GameChangers, Sporticulture, Fanatics Authentic, and Open Road Brands, are downplayed, with the attention solely focused on how one moment of belief from a coach can go far beyond the field.
Inside the huddle
For the NFL, the strategy behind the ad goes back to the impact it made with last year’s “Somebody.” In addition to its flashy “Flag 50” ad, the NFL also ran the quieter “Somebody” spot in Super Bowl 59, showcasing players helping kids recite positive affirmations that they are somebody.
According to NFL CMO Tim Ellis, the “Somebody” ad tripled positive perceptions among non-fans and casual fans and increased mentorship for partner Big Brothers Big Sisters, ultimately reducing the number of kids waiting for mentors by thousands.
“We saw how powerful that was last year. We have been talking about the power of coaches and how they really change kids’ lives, not only on the field, but off the field, and in many aspects, for their entire life,” Ellis said. “We wanted to come up with a concept that would celebrate coaches and bring to life the impact that they had on kids.”
The decision was made to exclude celebrities. But that also created new pressure.
“We’re not going to have a celebrity. We’re not going to have any players in this thing. So that means this thing has to absolutely rock,” Ellis said. “We have to have an incredible execution, and we have to craft the hell out of this ad in order for it to really set our own standards.”
