FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        CONTACT:
 NFL – 184                 1/31/05                       DAN MASONSON, NFL, 904-391-4262
                                                                  MASONSOND@NFL.COM            

                                                            

FIRST-EVER HIGH-DEFINITION COMMERCIAL FROM NFL TO AIR IN SUPER BOWL

 

Commercial Stars Oscar-Nominated Actor Don Cheadle

Earlier in Ad Campaign, Rene Russo First Female Spokesperson in NFL Spot

The final commercial in the series of advertisements for the 2004 NFL Playoffs featuring Academy Award-nominated actor DON CHEADLE (“Hotel Rwanda”) will air during Super Bowl XXXIX on Fox.  This is the first-ever NFL spot produced in high definition and features victorious teams and the Lombardi Trophy. 

The advertising campaign -- produced by the NFL’s internal creative group and directed by Cheadle -- links generations of NFL players, connecting the legends of the past to the heroes of the present and ties in with the league’s 2004 theme of “Building Bridges.”   The campaign’s concept mixes historical NFL Films footage in a seamless football sequence. 

“We are pleased to be able to marry the rich tradition of football’s past with the high-definition technology of today to give fans a truly unique Super Bowl commercial,” said MICHAEL CAPIRASO, NFL vice president, executive creative director.  “The creative execution bridges Super Bowl history, traveling through four decades of Super Bowl moments.”

NFL Films used researchers to locate the original film for each of the thirty-plus historical clips used in the commercial, going back to the original negatives and restoring them in HD quality.   “We don’t believe in out-takes, we save everything from the Super Bowl,” said STEVE SABOL, president of NFL Films. 

The previous ads of the campaign aired during NFL games on ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, and the NFL Network, and featured the tagline “The Playoffs are where moments are made.  What’s next?”  The 30-second Super Bowl spot concludes with the tagline: “The Super Bowl.  This is where moments are made.  What’s next?”

The previous commercials, which were filmed at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, are highlighted below.

 

  • In “The Moment,” Cheadle teases the playoffs with three quick playoff moments from last year.  The spot has been updated after each round of the playoffs to include the most current moments. 

 

  • In “The Pass,” actor BENJAMIN BRATT discusses what it means to be a quarterback over a montage of great passers, ending with last year’s Super Bowl MVP TOM BRADY.

 

  • In “The Run”, actor DYLAN MCDERMOTT speaks from the stands about the greatest running backs while their outstanding runs are shown, with the final image being a soaring touchdown dive by Carolina running back DE SHAUN FOSTER in last year’s Super Bowl.

 

  • In “The Catch,” actress RENE RUSSO is on a sideline bench talking about receiving greats as classic wide receiver highlights roll, capped by a scoring catch in this year’s playoffs by the Colts’ REGGIE WAYNE.