In wake of the most tumultuous year in modern American history, the NFL created an unforgettable, first-of-its-kind moment at Super Bowl LV to inspire and unite the football community.
Using CGI and real audio recording, we brought back Coach Vince Lombardi, one of America’s most inspirational NFL figures and the namesake of the Super Bowl trophy, to deliver an unforgettable speech to the nation. Bringing back Vince Lombardi was achieved in just three months. First, archival footage and recordings of Vince Lombardi from the 1960s was sourced and restored. Next, live-action plates were filmed of an actor cast for his physical similarities to Coach Lombardi. Once shot, proprietary face-swap technology known as “Charlatan” blended detailed facial behavior and movement to the live-action footage, seamlessly merging the two. Because Vince Lombardi’s speeches were often quoted, but rarely recorded, a new speech was written and his voice needed to be recreated. To do so, digital voice cloning experts isolated Lombardi’s speech patterns and vocal tenor. Machine learning then combined the Ai generated voice with an actor’s voice, resulting in a natural, emotive performance. The final result was integrated into the live broadcast, where a virtual Vince Lombardi appeared on field, inspiring an audience of 100 million, during the kickoff show at Super Bowl LV.
Lombardi’s comeback infiltrated culture and generated massive conversation throughout the Super Bowl with talk focused on the coach’s historic return. The moment generated +2.1 billion social media impressions with fans reacting to the commercial, +2 million online video views across all major social platforms, and a 20:1 positive sentiment on YouTube. The press response was also positive, ranking Top 20 on AdMeter with a 6 Star average and securing a Top 5 spot on the Most Inspirational list of commercials. And most importantly, the speech created a moment to fuel resilience in all of us, with 70% of people agreeing the ad unified and brought people together and 66% of people agreeing the ad made them feel optimistic for the future.
