Duracell’s Super Bowl Shock: Commercial Shows Tom Brady Running Out of Power

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On Sunday, Duracell, a renowned battery company, aimed to create a surprise during the Super Bowl by linking their trusted power sources with Tom Brady, the legendary football player now serving as an NFL commentator for Fox in his debut season.

The Berkshire Hathaway storage cell commercial gives viewers the impression they’ve come back from a commercial break during the Big Game, with Fox Sports’ personalities Brady and Kevin Burkhardt discussing the game action. Burkhardt inquires, “Alright, Tom, what are your thoughts?” However, before Brady can respond, it seems like he experiences a moment of silence or hesitation.

In a flash, a “Duracell Expert” arrives on the spot, swiftly identifying the issue: An unknown battery type had been used to power Brady, but champions like Tom prefer Duracell. Although Brady enjoys blueberry smoothies, avocado, and lemon, it’s Duracell that restores his full power in no time.

According to Ramon Velutini, president of Duracell’s U.S. and Latin America operations, they are banking on Tom Brady’s famous family ties for their latest advertising campaign. Throughout the sports season, there has been much discussion about Brady’s commentary abilities in his new role at Fox, which he addresses in this ad. The commercial capitalizes on this ongoing debate: “Will Brady mess up? Will he excel?” Now, with this ad, even Brady himself is poking fun at the speculation: “Even Brady can’t resist having a little fun about that.

Brady has acknowledged a season filled with commentary about his commentary.

During a recent press conference, he expressed, “Once you accept this position, you should be ready for its unpredictability. The best approach is to put in your utmost effort to prepare, understanding that there will likely be moments when you’ll look back and wish you had done certain things differently.

In my opinion, Brady’s star power undeniably amplifies the impact of an advertisement, as proven by the successful introduction of the Duracell Scientist character in 2024. This innovative figure has resonated positively with consumers and, during the Super Bowl, it’s crucial to aim for something that will truly stand out amidst the competition. After all, the Super Bowl offers the highest marketing bar of the year, a platform where every advertiser strives to deliver their message in an unforgettable way. And let me tell you, we at Duracell are determined to sell our batteries without apology.

Duracell requires a strategic plan, as Procter & Gamble learned from previous experience. In 2017, Tide produced an advertisement featuring Fox Sports commentator Terry Bradshaw that proved successful. Before the commercial began, Bradshaw was shown on camera with a stained shirt, and then embarked on a frantic journey in the ad break while trying to remove the stain. The former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback appeared in a soiled shirt before the commercial started.

Other advertisers have attempted to create an atmosphere similar to major sports events to capture viewers’ attention more effectively. General Motors generated excitement among NBC’s audience before Super Bowl XLIX by airing a commercial that appeared to malfunction, with the screen going dark just before kickoff. This simulated a technical issue disrupting the game feed. After a brief pause, viewers were informed they could stream the Super Bowl on a Chevrolet Colorado due to its excellent Wi-Fi capabilities.

The assistance provided by the fox was crucial for the success of the endeavor. The television network strategically scheduled the advertisement, ensuring that it was Duracell’s ad that aired just before the network resumed coverage of the game.

It’s possible there were other hidden challenges at play. In the Super Bowl ad for Instacart, several famous advertising icons made by Madison Avenue were featured, like the Energizer Bunny. Velutini claims he wasn’t told about that particular ad being produced. TV networks strive to ensure ads from direct competitors don’t air too close together so as not to confuse viewers.

Velutini emphasizes that marketing batteries can be challenging because people don’t directly witness their functionality. Instead, they perform consistently within the devices they power. He often notes that our mental space dedicated to understanding batteries is limited, and our attention span for battery advertisements is even more so.

The collaboration arrangements with Brady and Burkhardt were swiftly put in place. It so happened that Duracell’s Velutini encountered Brady towards the end of last year at a gathering, and inquired if he would be open to working with the firm. Upon his affirmative response, Duracell officials promptly sprang into action, despite having minimal time. The company sealed a deal with Fox for the advertisement on December 26, as per the executive.

“You can’t imagine how my last month has been,” he says.

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2025-02-10 04:17