My Big Game Anthem

I was not fortunate enough to create an official Super Bowl spot. But after watching the ads go down last night, I’m feeling like I’ve got 2018 on lock. So here’s my script for next year. It’s got all the elements of a true winner. 

Let’s talk directors. I’m thinking Spike Jonze. 

“Super Bowl Anthem” :90

We open on a child’s drawing of crudely-rendered people, standing on top of the earth, holding hands. A young girl shades in each figure with a different coloured crayon. 

“I Will Wait” by Mumford and Sons begins playing.

VO: There are things we can dream about. 

A teacher picks up the drawing and examines it, first with confusion, then with a smile. The child smiles back.

VO: There are things we can only imagine. 

Cut to rolling green hills, where the same young girl rides atop an imaginary creature running through the long grass. She clutches its long purple hair as she bounces up and down.

VO: When we can dream, we can make a difference.

Suddenly, a multicultural crowd of people crests the top of a hill. They look down on the girl and the creature as they frolic. The group sings along with “I Will Wait” as they gaze upwards, into the sky.

Amongst the crowd, we see beloved comedic actress Betty White in the chorus. She turns to camera.

BETTY: We are all dreamers!

On another hill, a second group comes into view. Among them, we see retired football legend Jerry Rice singing along proudly. Rice looks to camera. 

JERRY:  We are all equal.

Cut to the little girl underwater, in a whimsical, homemade submarine. Enormous sea beasts swim all around her. Through the small porthole, we see her face, struck with awe. She places her palm against the glass. 

VO: When dreams make a difference, imagination is unleashed. 

In a shark cage, we see current football superstar Rob Gronkowski, wearing a scuba suit with the sleeves cut off. Gronk pulls out his mouthpiece and speaks to camera through a burst of bubbles. 

GRONK (subtitled): We are all explorers!

Suddenly, a large sea beast collides with Gronk’s cage, stretching the support cable to its limit. Gronk looks comically worried for a moment, then the cage snaps upwards.

Cut to the sky, where fantastical clouds swirl around the little girl, now in a cardboard airplane decorated in crayon drawings. She wears goggles and a brightly coloured scarf. 

Gronk flies by, screaming comically.

VO: When explorers dream, the imagination can grow. 

The little girl zooms through the clouds, then pulls up alongside a commercial airliner. The passengers stare at her in wonder as they sing along with Mumford and Sons. 

VO: We believe in a world where all imaginations are equal. 

Through one of the plane windows, we see a woman taking a selfie. She suddenly notices the little girl and lowers her phone. She and the little girl make eye contact for a moment. The woman smiles, then powers her phone down.

VO: Where technology is a tool, not a distraction. 

The little girl laughs with wonder as she zooms through the clouds. 

Cut to the little girl, now asleep in a bed at home. Her mother stares at her lovingly from the doorway. 

VO: Where, at the end of every day . . . 

In the sleeping girl’s hand, we see her drawing of people of different hues holding hands. 

VO: . . . dreams can grow again.

SUPER: #WeBelieve

Through the window, we catch a glimpse of Gronk as he flies by again, screaming. 

Evan Schultz is Associate Creative Director at Droga5