The NFL and its agency of record 72andSunny LA linked football’s past, present and future in the league’s own Super Bowl marketing push which was led by a hero 120-second spot called ‘Bring Down The House’.
With Super Bowl LVI held at SoFi Stadium, just a few blocks away from Hollywood, the NFL turned to movie magic to celebrate the end of its season with an commercial that ‘brought down the house in a celebration of the joy of football.
‘Bring Down the House’ aimed to offer an inclusive and emblematic presentation of football’s expansive influence on American culture. It opened with a young brother/sister duo (played by real life siblings Gabriel and Kapri Ladd) and centred around the siblings’ experience with the NFL’s past and present.
It featured animated versions of legendary NFL players, plus coaches, referees and announcers including: Peyton Manning, Michael Strahan, Chase Young, DK Metcalf, Marshawn Lynch, Deion Sanders, Al Michaels, Kyler Murray, Christian McCaffrey, Michael Irvin, Justin Jefferson, Tony Gonzalez, Lamar Jackson, Troy Polamalu, Davante Adams, Alvin Kamara, Ray Lewis, Derrick Henry, Aaron Donald, Deandre Hopkins, Andy Reid, Sarah Thomas, George Kittle, Rob Gronkowski and Walter Payton.
Helmed renowned director Peter Berg (who created the NFL’s epic ‘100-Year-Game’ ad) and film and television production studio Swaybox, the commercial blended real world puppetry, a video game format and human physicality with proprietary compositing technology.
It aired during halftime: immediately prior to the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show.
It was supported by a ‘Behind-The-Scenes’ making-of style video deployed across the NFL’s own social and digital platforms and an interactive metaverse event on Roblox called ‘Destruction House’ which was inspired by ‘Bring Down the House’.
Ready to bring the house down? Wreak havoc and unlock exclusive virtual merch in Destruction House, a live @NFL Tycoon event inspired by the Super Bowl LVI commercial: https://t.co/iXjn7IARxW pic.twitter.com/734V6KFBE8
— Roblox (@Roblox) February 14, 2022
“Emblematic of the exciting and unexpected game of football, our spot brings together the NFL’s past, present, and future through a totally new innovative approach,” said NFL EVP and Chief Marketing Officer Tim Ellis. “We ended this season with an epic bring-down-the-house celebration, and for the first time ever, we brought 25 NFL Legends and current players to life through never-before-seen immersive 3D technology.”
“What better way to end an incredible season with a game for the ages. And that game most certainly has to end with Walter Payton scoring a touchdown on Super Bowl Sunday,” added 72andSunny LA ECD Zach Hilder.
The campaign was created for the NFL by agency 72andSunny Los Angeles with the hero commercial helmed by Director Peter Berg and Co-Director Arthur Mintz, plus production company Film 47, VFX from Swaybox Studios, editorial by WORK Editorial, telecine from Company3, audio and sound by LIME Studios, finishing by Shape + Light, Method Studios and Shinyume, plus licensed music ‘Long Tall Sally’ by Barking Owl.
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‘Bring Down The House’, which generated more than 4.5m views within its first four days on the NFL’s own YouTube channel, has echoes of the NFL’s 100th anniversary Big Game ‘Take It To The House‘ spot.
According to the league, the 2021 NFL Season was its biggest season yet and was its first 17-game regular season which included high-scoring, unpredictable outcomes, last second wins and outstanding performances from generational stars and emerging talent.
Other NFL more notable tie-ups and activations around the Big Game ranged from a multi-faceted partnership with eSports team and gaming content creator FazeClan and a metaverse initiative with Roblox called ‘NFL Tycoon’.
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