For the first time in 30 years, the U.S. Marine Corps will air an ad during the Super Bowl, using an online-only spot Sunday to target a young, tough, tech-savvy audience for potential recruits looking for a challenge.
The high-powered, battle-heavy, 30-second ad shows Marines deploying from ships in amphibious vehicles, dropping bombs from aircraft and hurling a shoulder-launched drone into the air.
“It’s not just the ships, the armor or the aircraft. It’s something more. It’s the will to fight and determination to win found inside each and every Marine that answers a nation’s call,” the announcer says, as the camera follows a squad of Marines storming off helicopters into a mock firefight while explosions erupt around them.
The goal, said Maj. Gen. Paul Kennedy, head of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, is to reach young men and women who have faced and conquered challenges in their life, probably played physical sports such as wrestling or rugby, and have a bit of that fighting spirit.
Network television viewers of the game won’t see the Marine spot. But those watching through online streaming services — which charge a fraction of the advertising price — will see it twice. – READ MORE
[give_form id=”79809″] [divider][/divider]The political fallout from the 2017 anthem protests may even affect this year’s Super Bowl.
According to results from a Seton Hall University survey, the once sure-fire ratings success that is the Super Bowl has found itself on shaky ground. During the NFL regular season, TV ratings fell by 10% on average, and it appears that the Super Bowl will not escape a similar fate.
The survey conducted by Seton Hall, which polled 706 Americans across the country, showed that among those who identify as NFL fans, 16% replied they will not be watching the big game this year. The poll has a 3.8% margin of error.
Though the poll did not ask people their reasons for not watching, the political controversies surrounding players kneeling for the national anthem to protest police brutality cannot be overlooked. – READ MORE
[give_form id=”79809″] [divider][/divider]The NFL, along with NBC, has rejected a Super Bowl ad from AML Bitcoin that mocks North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.
The Daily Caller obtained a copy of the letter AML Bitcoin president Marcus Andrade wrote to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. In it, Andrade wrote:
We have been informed by our media buyers that the network carrying the NFL’s Super Bowl game, NBC, will not accept our television ad “North Korea Can’t Steal AML BitCoin” for placement during the broadcast. An ad taking Kim Jong-un, dictator of North Korea, to task in a humorous and biting way should not be offensive to anyone. Our ad reminds viewers that Kim Jong-un and his army of hackers have been stealing billions of dollars of Bitcoin and other digital currencies for the past few years, funding their rogue nuclear weapons programs and thwarting efforts by the rest of the world to sanction this behavior. And our ad points out that, unlike the other digital currencies, the AML BitCoin has been designed with features that prevent his army from stealing it. – READ MORE
[give_form id=”79809″] [divider][/divider]In a moment that he and the league probably wish they could get back, this year’s Super Bowl halftime headliner Justin Timberlake told the world at an NFL news conference promoting the Super Bowl on Thursday that he will “never” let his son play football.
When the singer jokingly offered to play wide receiver if the New England Patriots should need his help, a reporter asked him if his 2-year-old son Silas wanted to “run some routes and get in the NFL.”
Instead of running with the joke, Timberlake reflexively dumped on football.
“Uh, he will never play football. No, no,” said Timberlake, ABC reports. – READ MORE
[give_form id=”79809″] [divider][/divider]Officials are calling this the “worst flu season in a decade” — and it may even affect this year’s Super Bowl outcome.
According to 247 Sports, the Philadelphia Eagles are in crisis mode due to a flu bug that followed them all the way to Minneapolis, putting as many as three players out of commission.
“Ronald Darby missed Thursday’s media session due to illness,” 247 Sports reported, “along with Timmy Jernigan.”
Outside linebacker Mychal Kendricks also caught the flu this week but was fortunately able to attend the team’s final media session before the big game on Sunday.
As to what NFL fans should expect to see happen in Minneapolis on Sunday, if Eagles lose due to the flu, a new Deflategate-sized conspiracy could be in order. Just blame “Flugate” on Tom Brady. – READ MORE