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Chapter 63: Super Bowl Commercial
🕑 Added 2024-09-21 19:29:48 +0000 UTCPreviously,Gilbert had suggested to the two producers that the film should have an advertisement during the Super Bowl.
Although there was no precedent, both Disney and Warner's publicity departments found this suggestion constructive.
After a meeting and discussion, the production team requested Gilbert to edit a thirty-second trailer for the Super Bowl advertisement.
This year's Super Bowl halftime show would feature the global pop superstar Michael Jackson making his debut on the Super Bowl stage.
Initially, this superstar was inclined to decline, but the Super Bowl officials told Michael Jackson that this Super Bowl would be broadcast live in many countries around the world.
Michael Jackson refused the official Super Bowl arrangements for the performance and chose his own songs.
The final selections were "We Are the World" and "Heal the World," to spread his message of love to the world.
Another reason was the shocking Los Angeles riots of 1992, which highlighted severe ethnic tensions.
Michael Jackson planned to hold his first concert of 1993 in Los Angeles to help bridge ethnic divides.
He aimed to use the Super Bowl stage to promote virtues like goodness and beauty, calling for peace and unity.
Given this background, the Super Bowl stage attracted significant attention.
The events occurred around March or April, but Gilbert was not much affected.
The riot-affected areas were communities dominated by gangs, akin to a real-life version of GTA.
However, the Hollywood area remained safe with excellent security.
If the wealthy neighborhoods were affected, it would signal the beginning of North American societal collapse. For now, the disturbances did not impact its core.
As an outsider (self-proclaimed),Gilbert remained indifferent.
The media had little interest in him.
Instead, many Hollywood celebrities fled Los Angeles under the pretext of filming to avoid media attention.
Such issues often lead to discontent regardless of the response.
Only Michael Jackson had the influence and ability to call for unity.
After deciding to place the advertisement during the Super Bowl, Disney quickly contacted the Super Bowl broadcast officials.
This type of advertisement was new for the Super Bowl broadcast officials.
They realized that if the film achieved good publicity, the Super Bowl could become an important promotional platform for Hollywood movies in the future.
This was beneficial for the Super Bowl's brand promotion, so the officials agreed.
The thirty-second trailer was quickly edited. For a film full of exciting scenes, this was not a difficult task.
As the advertiser, Disney received a few Super Bowl tickets.
Robert Iger directly transferred the tickets to Gilbert, allowing him to take his family or others to the event.
Gilbert was not interested in American football but looked forward to Michael Jackson's halftime show.
Thus, he invited his aunt and her family from San Francisco to attend the Super Bowl halftime show.
Hollywood could not keep secrets, and soon the news that "Speed" would have a trailer during the Super Bowl spread throughout Hollywood.
Many Hollywood companies quickly realized the potential and rushed to contact the Super Bowl broadcast officials to secure an ad slot.
Unfortunately, by the time they inquired, all the ad slots were already taken.
However, it was fine to observe the effectiveness of "Speed"'s advertisement. If successful, more Hollywood movies might advertise during the Super Bowl next year.
By February, the Super Bowl took place in Chicago.
Gilbert brought his aunt's family to the Super Bowl, where they sat in a VIP box, avoiding the general audience.
But Gilbert thought that to truly experience the game, one needed to sit with the audience.
The game was quite boring for Gilbert because he did not understand American football.
He thought it was better to watch Michael Jordan play basketball, even though he did not like the sport much. At least he knew many basketball stars and could enjoy being a casual fan.
Instead, his uncle John Mace was very enthusiastic. Although he was not a fan of either team, he was excited.
When the halftime show preparations began, Gilbert knew that one of the greatest live performances in pop music history was about to start.
Before the show, the annual Super Bowl commercial showcase began.
As the first half ended, the viewership numbers for the Super Bowl broadcast surged exponentially.
The television station staff were excited, knowing that broadcasting the Super Bowl was truly worthwhile.
Before the halftime show started, the TV station began airing commercials.
Zoe and Doug were already watching the TV, eager to see Michael Jackson's performance as fans of the pop star.
However, they first saw the commercials.
Each year, Super Bowl commercials feature the season's popular products and are creatively produced.
They had seen interesting ads for IBM computers, Lancome cosmetics, and Lamborghini sports cars.
Just as Zoe thought the halftime show was about to begin, a deafening explosion erupted on the screen.
Zoe was startled as a house was blown up on the TV screen.
"Doug, is this... a movie trailer?" Zoe was a bit incredulous.
As experienced Super Bowl viewers, they had never seen a movie trailer during the Super Bowl.
At that moment, the subtitle flashed, and Doug read aloud, "Directed by the creator of 'The Shallow' and 'Final destination'…"
"Zoe, this is Little Gilbert's new film."
"Oh my god," Zoe covered her mouth, "He actually placed an ad during the Super Bowl. No one has done this before."
The trailer's explosions, high-speed chases, and dazzling editing raised their adrenaline levels.
Doug, feeling his racing heart, excitedly said, "This trailer is so spectacular and cool. When is it coming out?"
As the final explosion occurred, the title "Speed" flashed on the screen, along with the release date: April 30th, marking the film's official North American release.
After watching the trailer, Doug was not satisfied and told Zoe, "We have to see this movie in theaters."
"Agreed," Zoe responded, "And we should gather many friends to watch it together."
Not only Zoe and Doug saw the "Speed" trailer during the Super Bowl. According to post-event statistics, at least 40 million people watched the Super Bowl during that time slot.
This was Michael Jackson's influence, and "Speed," shown before his performance, also reached such a large audience.
The promotional effect exceeded Disney and Warner's expectations.
Even if only ten percent of viewers became interested, that would be four million potential viewers.
Moreover, the trailer edited by Little Gilbert was excellent, giving Disney and Warner great confidence.
