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84 Lumber kicked off a national recruitment campaign with a Super Bowl ad about immigration that was too politically charged for the FOX network, the ad’s producers said.
The 90-second ad was the family-owned, Washington County-based company’s first big push to reach a national audience. It ran just before the halftime break and directed millions of viewers to its website.
The ad, called “The Journey Begins,” depicted a Mexican woman and her young daughter’s journey traveling to reach the southern U.S. border. The ad was produced by Pittsburgh-based ad agency Brunner.
Part one of the 84 Lumber Super Bowl commercial. See the story’s conclusion on Sunday during halftime at https://t.co/MBuO0iBMFF . pic.twitter.com/WrdyWfbrr6
— 84 Lumber Company (@84LumberNews) February 2, 2017
Part one of the 84 Lumber Super Bowl commercial. See the story’s conclusion on Sunday during halftime at https://t.co/MBuO0iBMFF . pic.twitter.com/WrdyWfbrr6
84 Lumber posted the full video Sunday evening, saying the ad depicted a “mother & daughter’s symbolic journey toward becoming legal American citizens.”
It included a part that television viewers didn’t see – the mother and daughter reaching what appears to be Donald Trump’s newly constructed wall dividing the two countries. That part was concerning to the FOX network, according to Brunner.
“FOX had some concerns about some of the elements, including the ‘wall’ that were initially included. So when they told us they ultimately weren’t going to approve, we were disappointed, but ultimately, it’s their network and their decision,” said Michael Brunner, CEO of Brunner, in a statement.
“However, because we believe so strongly in the message, we didn’t want to see it left on the editing room floor,” he said.
Instead, the television ad directed viewers to the webpage journey84.com , which included a 5-minute, 44-second version of the ad. The company’s website received 300,000 viewer requests in the first minute after the ad aired, and 6 million views in the first hour, a company spokesman said. According to reports the website had trouble handling the traffic and was down temporarily.
According to the Brunner website, the ad was intended “to convey the core values of 84 Lumber in the most disruptive way possible on the biggest stage – the Super Bowl. A spot focused on telling the story of what 84 Lumber believes in and, at the same time, recruits more like-minded people as the company expands.”
In the full video, 84 Lumber workers have consrtucted large wooden doors in the wall. The mother and daughter – holding an American flag the little girl has woven out of scraps she picked up on the journey – walk through the doors into sunlight.
The last line of the video says: “The will to succeed is always welcome here.”
Amy Smiley, marketing director for 84 Lumber, said the 60-year old company provides training and advancement and good paying jobs.
“We’re always looking for people who are ready to roll up their sleeves and work hard, no matter who they are,” she said.
In the days before the Super Bowl, 84 Lumber issued a series of inspiring teaser tweets:
An unforgettable journey lies ahead. See what happens 2.5.17. pic.twitter.com/JA6TXAgiWi
— 84 Lumber Company (@84LumberNews) January 29, 2017
An unforgettable journey lies ahead. See what happens 2.5.17. pic.twitter.com/JA6TXAgiWi
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