The production for the NFL's Super Bowl ad featuring Giants QB Eli Manning and WR Odell Beckham Jr. "came together unusually quickly, thanks not only to the help of the NFL but of Manning himself," according to Neil Best of NEWSDAY. The ad "was shot two weeks ago" with the help of Grey, N.Y., which is the league's agency of record. Grey Creative Dir Mike Cicale said of Manning, “He was super-excited about it, and he made some calls to get his (linemen) in there, which was great. What you saw on set with Eli was sort of what a starting quarterback in the NFL is supposed to do. He was there the day before for three hours rehearsing. He was there all day long on the shooting day. He was super-dedicated. That’s why he is who he is." Grey Creative Dir Cam Miller said of Manning and Beckham, “I can’t say enough for the extra work they put in to get those moves down. Once they figured out what we wanted, they wanted to nail it." Cicale said that after "watching athletically gifted stand-ins need 10 or 12 takes to get the lift right when lighting was being planned the day before, he marveled at how quickly Beckham learned his part." Cicale: "It’s crazy. You kind of take for granted the athletic ability that these guys have." Miller and Cicale "sensed they might have a hit when the ad played" insude U.S. Bank Stadium. Cicale: "You heard the roar inside the stadium and that kind of blew my mind" (NEWSDAY, 2/6).
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION: In N.Y., Ruth Brown notes the spot's choreographer, Stephanie Klemons, also "teaches the cast" of Broadway's "Hamilton." Klemons said that the players "didn’t really know what they were getting into when they showed up for the shoot." But she added that they "were 'totally game' for the cheeky concept, even though they only had a day to learn the steps." Grey Deputy Chief Creative Office Jeff Stamp said that the creators of the ad "wanted to celebrate touchdown dances, which finally became legal in the NFL last season." Their minds "quickly went to movie reenactments and 'Dirty Dancing' was a no-brainer -- but it was the NFL that suggested Manning and Beckham as the spot’s designated twinkle-toes." Once the ad "was in the can, the creators knew it was special, but they still had one more challenge -- deciding whether to leak the ad early or to hold off and take viewers by surprise." Stamp said that it "was well and truly worth the wait" (N.Y. POST, 2/6).
PRAISE YOU LIKE I SHOULD: The ad has generated buzz on Twitter since it aired. Sports reporter Bonnie Bernstein tweeted Manning "won his 3rd Super Bowl MVP with that OBJ spot." ESPN's Linda Cohn: "Funniest commercial of the night. @Giants #ElifunnierthanPeyton." South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley: "The greatest commercial ever! Bravo @nfl." Singer Mandisa: "I’ll cherish the mental picture of Eli Manning lifting @OBJ_3 for the rest of my life!" Pegula Sports & Entertainment journalist Lauren Hall: "Eli Manning and OBJ FOR THE WIN I actually clapped at the TV." Actor/activist Holly Robinson Peete: "I'm in loooove with Eli Manning and @OBJ_3 #DirtyDancing recreation."
