But that wasn’t easy.
“It is a very quiet, very powerful moment. And I think we all committed,” Marissa Solis, svp, global brand and consumer marketing, NFL, said. “It was a hard commitment to make. We were a little like, ‘Can we really trust in a kid and an unknown coach to bring to life a 60-second Super Bowl commercial?’”
The group conducted an exhaustive search with five or six rounds of auditions, scouring the country for the right kid and coach for the ad, leading to debates over performance, authenticity, and gravitas.
“It was nerve-wracking. We knew that was going to be make or break,” Glenn Cole, co-founder, 72andSunny, said.
Ultimately, the group cast Cutrer as the kid, with Thompson taking the role of the coach. With the actors identified, the ad was created to work alongside “Somebody,” as well as another ad, “You Are Special,” which originally aired during Weeks 15 and 16 of the NFL season.
“You Are Special” showcases athletes such as Michael Strahan and Christian McCaffrey singing the Mr. Rogers song of the same name alongside children from Harlem Children’s Zone, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and SMASH. The NFL will also air a 30-second version of “You Are Special” during the Super Bowl.
Cole noted that the campaign’s job is to “unite the living room.” While other ads can lead to viewers debating their merits, this one is simply about bringing people together.
“That’s why the other ad is in the mix. This is a three-act story. They’re designed to be interrelated,” Cole said.
Together, the ads work to support the NFL’s Inspire Change program. Since 2017, the NFL has committed more than $460 million through Inspire Change to advance education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.
Overall, Solis said the NFL’s Super Bowl campaign is a way to highlight positive role models, whether that’s an NFL star or a coach who helps a child believe.
“I think if people can just learn to be that positive role model in their community, with the people that they can impact around them, then we would have done our job,” Solis said.
CREDITS:
Brand: National Football League (NFL)
Creative Agency: 72andSunny, Los Angeles
Production: MJZ
Editorial: Papercut
Color: Company 3
Sound Design/Mix: LIME Studios
Finishing: Parliament
