Executives across the U.S. are fighting back against the White House’s anti-immigrant policies in a flurry of Super Bowl TV spots. The ads do not mention the president directly, in part because Super Bowl rules prohibit commercials “for viewpoint or advocacy of controversial issues,” but quickly prompted political debates over the Trump administration’s policies on social media.
In a 30-second Super Bowl commercial, Airbnb seemed to go after President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders on immigration with a spot Sunday that advocated accepting people from all races, ages and genders. “Acceptance starts with all of us,” the ad said.
“We believe no matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love, or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept,” the commercial said.
The ad quickly went viral, with the hashtag #WeAccept trending topic on Twitter. “Really happy to see so may brands tapping into the power of inclusiveness, acceptance & diversity. THAT is who we are as Americans #weaccept,” one Twitter user wrote.
84 Lumber, the building materials company, also used the Super Bowl as a platform to address Trump’s immigration policies. The original ad was rejected for showing a border wall. The 90-second commercial that aired during halftime featured a Spanish-speaking mother and daughter traveling in the back of a pickup truck. The duo hopped on a freight train, walked on foot through a storm and then, finally, a desert. A Mexican flag was present in the commercial.
As the ad came to an end, it directed viewers to “see the conclusion at journey84.com,” a site where users were told the complete video “contains content deemed too controversial for TV.”
The TV spots came after Trump signed an executive order banning travel to the U.S. for refugees and people from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The White House has also vowed to build a border wall and deport undocumented immigrants.
Budweiser also got political with the ad, “Born the Hard Way,” which tells the story of founder Adolphus Busch and the prejudice he faced as an immigrant in the United States. The ad saw Trump supporters vowing to boycott the beer commercial.
Meanwhile, the car company Audi went after the wage gap in its Super Bowl ad called “Daughter.” “Do I tell her that despite her education, her drive, her skills, her intelligence, she will automatically be valued as less than every man she ever meets?” a father says in the ad. The commercial was slammed on YouTube.
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