When the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots couldn’t turn it up on the field, some fans debated turning the game off. However, most didn’t and made sure to catch the commercials. And one, in particular, shined above the rest. Though New England won on the field, the NFL won off it.
The NFL’s “100 year” halftime ad was the highest-rated ad of the game, placing No. 1 out of 58 possible commercials. They’ve been spot-on with their commercials recently, finishing second place last year to Amazon for a Dirty Dancing parody by Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. This year they finally jumped over the online shopping giant, which called on actor Harrison Ford for its Super Bowl ad this year.
The two-minute commercial featured a number of NFL greats from Joe Montana to Emmitt Smith to Deion Sanders. The ad begins at a black-tie dinner to celebrate the league’s upcoming 100th season with Commissioner Rodger Goodell giving a speech. But even the players are bored by him and Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch, channeling his “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” attitude, turns to grab a piece of cake. The golden football on top of the tower falls and the banquet hall turns into a brawl after one simple word is yelled out: “Fumble!” Next thing you know, players from as far back as 1957 are throwing around the ball, smashing through table, and flipping each other in an extreme game of kill the carrier.
“I feel honored to help ring in the NFL’s centennial season with a piece of creative that brings to life the passion, energy and storied history of football,” director Peter Berg said in a statement. “In fact, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve done in my career.”
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Though the ad called on players from today and the past, it also called on people who never set foot on an NFL field. Female youth football player Sam Gordon, sportscaster Beth Mowins, Fortnite gamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, and Sarah Thomas, the NFL’s first female official, were all featured in the commercial.
“It was important to us that the spot was inclusive and emblematic of football’s expansive influence on American culture,” Tim Ellis, the NFL’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said.
Here’s the full commercial:
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