This post was written by Megan Hayes, Producer at cj Advertising.
This year’s Super Bowl commercials taught us a few things: Puppies are still advertising gold, Kim Kardashian actually has a sense of humor, and Marcia Brady gets extremely cranky when she’s hungry.
But wedged in between flying pigs, cute dads, and sexy cars, was a powerful PSA that made a significant impact on many of us in Creative Services.
PSA From the NFL: It’s Up To Us To Listen
This ad is part of the NFL’s NO MORE campaign against domestic violence. It features an actual 911 call from a woman who pretends to be ordering a pizza. After a few moments of frustration, the 911 dispatcher realizes that an actual emergency is taking place and that the victim’s abuser is still in the room. The visuals show the inside of a dismantled house, where it becomes obvious that domestic violence has occurred here.
A few reasons why we like it…
It’s relevant. Some ads simply don’t take off because they don’t make sense within the context of the Super Bowl. But this commercial is uncomfortably close to home. For years, there have been statistics about the frequency of domestic violence on Super Bowl Sunday. And recently, the graphic video of NFL star Ray Rice punching his fiancé thrust the NFL into the center of this issue. NO MORE made a stunning statement to raise awareness and get people talking. And boy, are people talking.
It’s memorable. The raw 911 call, the simple dialogue, the unsettling visuals… all of these make for a chilling and surprising ad.
It’s unique. While there were a higher number of serious spots in this year’s rotation, nothing stood out quite like this. The hope is that it will empower victims of domestic violence to speak up and remind all of us to listen and be on the lookout for signs of abuse.
That’s our Super Bowl champ, but we want to hear from YOU! What was your top pick? Anything you saw and thought you may want to try as a lawyer ad? Let us hear it! You never know who will be the next Jamie Casino!
A few other ‘honorable mentions’ include:
- Dodge “Wisdom”
- Always “#LIKEAGIRL”
- Budweiser “#BestBuds”
- BMW i3 “Newfangled Idea”
- Avocados From Mexico “#FirstDraftEver”
