Which was better? The Commercials or the Game?
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
If you picked the commercials as your favorite, you’re not alone. In the very unscientific survey we conducted 100% of the respondents said the TV spots were more entertaining than the game. Each year the Super Bowl is the one televised event when bathroom breaks are often taken during the program and not during the sponsored breaks. For these 30 seconds of fun we can thank DAVID, the 45-person advertising agency, that created three of the most loved commercials of the Super Bowl.
You’ll find a lot of Miami Ad School grads working at DAVID. Copywriting grad, Nellie Santee, and art direction grad, Andy Tamayo, were especially happy on Sunday because two of the commercials they helped create aired on the Super Bowl. In their words, “What more could we wish for? ha ha”. Creating a commercial for the Super Bowl is to an advertising creative what playing in the Super Bowl is to a football player.
We caught up with Nellie and Andy and asked how this all came about.
MIAMI AD SCHOOL: Very few creatives get the opportunity to do a commercial for the Super Bowl. How did you two, who are fairly new to the agency, get the opportunity?
NELLIE/ANDY: Once the opportunity for the first spot from Budweiser came in, we all jumped on it, but it always seemed a bit far-fetched to think we would actually get an idea approved, being such a new team to the agency. There were several amazing teams fighting for it! Thankfully at DAVID, we were given complete access and collaboration with leadership to pitch ideas, and it couldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for this model. We had a lot of help.
MAS: What were the biggest challenges?
NELLIE/ANDY: Both spots have a really simple concept and execution, so most of the work was making sure the message was tight for the client’s strategy and positioning. For the ‘#EatLikeAndy’ spot, it was a challenge to keep it secret. We really wanted the surprise at the Super Bowl.
The #EatLikeAndy spot was created from actual footage of the pop-artist, Andy Warhol, eating a Burger King hamburger. In keeping with the burger restaurant's slogan, “Have it Your Way”, Warhol has his burger with ketchup.
Fernando Machado is the Global Chief Marketing Officer of Burger King and Miami Ad School board member. When he was interviewed by AdAge about the Warhol film he said, "It's one of those assets that it's almost unbelievable that you have as a brand,"
For ‘Wind Never Felt Better’ spot, it was making sure we made the adjustments required by testing without compromising the creative. During production, we also had the challenge of making our vision for a sequence shot come true. It looks simple, but oh boy that was a challenge. We needed to find just the right tier 1 director to do it, and Adam Berg was the best person for the job. It came out fantastic.
Budweiser’s, Wind Never Felt Better spot, features the brewing company's goal to ensure that by 2025 all of the electricity they use comes from renewable sources. For this spot the challenge was making sure we made the adjustments required by testing without compromising the creative. During production, we also had the challenge of making our vision for a sequence shot come true. It looks simple, but oh boy that was a challenge. We needed to find just the right tier 1 director to do it, and Adam Berg was the best person for the job. It came out fantastic.
Budweiser’s, Wind Never Felt Better, features the brewing company's goal to ensure that by 2025 all of the electricity they use comes from renewable sources.
MAS: How did you know the ideas would work? Did the clients have doubts?
NELLIE /ANDY: Both spots were instant hits with clients. For the Budweiser spot, there was a longer approval and testing process, but the client already loved the concept from the beginning. And for us, we were all in a room when the idea for ‘wind’ came up and we all automatically knew it was the one. We literally said “this is it”. For the Burger King spot, the biggest challenge was on the client’s court, to get internal approval to run a Super Bowl spot after 13 years, but we also knew that was the idea to bring to the game.
MAS: Which of the two commercials you worked on was your favorite?
NELLIE/ANDY: We’re very proud to be part of the team that put out these two spots, and we're so lucky to have such amazing clients to work with. Parents never chose their favorite child.
MAS: What was the most important thing that you learned at Miami Ad School that you still use everyday at work?
NELLIE: Say ‘yes and’ (flashbacks of feeling stupid during improv class). Being open to evolving other people’s insights and nuggets of ideas can lead to great things. And if we all do it, everybody wins.
ANDY: Don’t be a dick. Ron* implanted that in our brains since day 1 and it’s helped me throughout my career. Always try to solve a problem instead of creating more problems is something I always try to do. (*Ron Seichrist is co-founder of Miami Ad School and frequently teaches.)
MAS: Before coming to Miami Ad School, what were you doing?
NELLIE: I have worked in advertising since 2008, when I graduated from University in Brazil, but when I decided to transition into the US market, Miami Ad School was the best way in, both in getting used to writing in English, and building a portfolio/network. While at school I freelanced as a canine-care specialist (aka dogwalker). But before that I contemplated becoming a professional violinist, as I have been playing since I was 4.
ANDY - I was a customer service rep at Visa. I did some freelance graphic design on the side but never really looked into making a career out of it. Somehow, everyone knew I was a good fit for advertising except me. My friends kept on bringing it up, and I finally decided to look up the best advertising schools. It was kinda surreal to me to find out the best school was based out of Miami.
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Special shout outs from Nellie and Andy: We’re actually a creative trio. Alex (aka Alexander Allen) isn’t a grad but here’s a special shout out to him 😉 Also special thanks to Fernando Pellizzaro, Jean Zamprogno, Juan Javier Pena Plaza, Ricardo Casal and Paulo Fogaca - our amazing leadership.
