The Super Bowl is a rare moment when consumers and advertisers alike celebrate brand marketing, and often directors and chief marketing officers receive the bulk of the star treatment for creating Big Game ads. But game day commercials pass through many hands before making it to air, and the line producers, legal teams and editors play equally important roles in realizing Super Bowl ads.

Ad Age asked numerous brands to share the unsung heroes of their Super Bowl campaigns. Here are a few of their backstories. 

Bosch

Dan Simonetti, head of business affairs, Droga5

Sunny Valencia, senior talent manager, Droga5

Dan Simonetti and Sunny Valencia managed negotiations for Antonio Banderas to appear in Bosch’s Super Bowl ad, as well as securing the rights to include Macho Man Randy Savage. They ensured contracts extended to all executions for the campaign, from press to in-store activations to social media posts, and Simonetti attended shoots to ensure all portrayals adhered to terms.

Budweiser

Chris Wiegert, supervisor of training for the Budweiser Clydesdales

Budweiser’s horse-heavy Super Bowl ads would be bare without the brand’s iconic Clydesdales. Wiegert oversaw a 60-day training period in Wyoming, during which the steeds learned their marks, before traveling with them to Los Angeles to shoot the ad. In addition to acclimating the Clydesdales to their changing environments, Wiegert and his team spent hours a day grooming, washing and readying the horses for filming.

Coors Light

Lenny Polakoff, executive VP, partner, Zagwear

Coors Light’s “Case of the Mondays” Super Bowl campaign has numerous working parts—from typo-laden creative to influencers wielding beer-can soothing face rollers to the sloth-starring Big Game spot itself. Lenny Polakoff and agency Zagwear led the merchandise for the campaign, an element that played a growing role as Super Bowl campaigns have become all-out cultural events.

“Lenny, we want you to create face rollers that use an actual Coors Light can? No problem. Lenny, we want you to create a collection of sloth-matching sets? No problem,” said a brand spokesperson. “While the creative often gets top billing, a merch agency is an unlikely hero in all of the commotion of the Big Game. Zagwear made all this a reality through seamless design ideas, efficient production and out-of-the-box creative extensions that helped us generate tremendous conversation with consumers.”

The spoof face roller cost $20 on the Coors store, and they were being listed on eBay this week for sometimes more than $100.

GoDaddy

Taby Olague, senior manager of marketing, GoDaddy

Taby Olague leads business affairs for GoDaddy and executed the brand’s partnership with actor Walton Goggins for its Super Bowl ad. The spot features Goggins’ real-life eyewear business, and shows the actor pretending to perform highly skilled jobs despite not having any experience in them as a contrast to the ways GoDaddy’s AI business tools can inform business owners. Olague represented GoDaddy in contract agreements with Goggins as well as production partners and music houses.

Homes.com

Steve Gandolfi, founder, owner and editor, Cut & Run

Steve Gandolfi led editing for Homes.com’s Super Bowl campaign, inclusive of two broadcast spots, teasers, digital and social content. He did so as his L.A. neighborhood was impacted by the California wildfires, leading to the loss of his home.

Ensuring the safety of his family, and even bringing his cats into the Cut & Run office, “Steve’s dedication reminds us that great work isn’t just about commitment; it’s about passion, perseverance and the strength of a team that supports each other through every challenge,” said the brand’s agency, RPA.

MSC Cruises

Martina Pollio, corporate onboard events director, MSC Cruises

Martina Pollio typically manages experiences for MSC Cruises guests. But Pollio took on a unique role in shooting the cruise line’s first Super Bowl spot—managing the production on a fully booked cruise. The task involved processing 85 agency, crew and talent members as well as navigating logistics with the captain and tracking down misplaced luggage.

“Martina was an all-hands-on-deck leader, always finding solutions—even when our production requests seemed like a stretch,” said Alex Gianni, executive producer, Highdive. “When Mother Nature threw us a curveball, forcing us to pivot and squeeze in three unscheduled shots on an already jam-packed day, she never wavered. She stayed calm, listened and rallied the ship’s crew to make it all happen. And it’s a good thing she did—because the next day it poured, and those shots would have been lost. Thanks to Martina’s quick thinking and steady leadership, we got everything we needed—and then some.”

NFL

Devin Harrison, partnerships and legal manager, 72andSunny

Casey Brown, senior manager, partnerships and legal manager, 72andSunny

Casey Brown and Devin Harrison are leaders in 72andSunny’s business affairs team who juggled numerous agreements core to the NFL’s Super Bowl campaign. The duo helped the NFL secure licensing rights to Reverend Jesse Jackson’s “I am somebody” speech based on William Holmes Borders’ “Somebody” poem as well as managing paperwork and liaising with over 50 children and families from the InsideOut, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Special Olympics programs.

“Casey Brown and Devin Harrison not only handled the many business logistics of production, from contracts to compliance, but worked closely with the NFL and its partner organizations to make sure a diverse range of kids these nonprofits support was accurately represented,” said Lora Schulson, head of production, North America, 72andSunny. “Beyond handling the sheer volume and speed of legal work, they brought patience, care and expertise to guide the kids and their families through an entirely new experience.”

Ram Trucks

Gwen and Witt

Ram’s Super Bowl spot tasks “Twisters” actor Glen Powell with telling a truck-ified version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” In the commercial, released today, Powell recounts the tale to his real-life niece and nephew, Gwen and Witt, helping to reframe the heartthrob as Uncle Glen. Lindsay Fifelski, Ram’s head of advertising, said the spot wouldn’t have achieved the authentic feeling of family without Gwen and Witt.

“In my family, the Super Bowl is more than just football, it’s about coming together, and yes, judging the commercials,” said Powell in a statement. “Having my family in my first Super Bowl ad felt like the perfect way to bring everything full circle.”

Totino’s Pizza Rolls

Rick Lazzarini, animatronics designer

Totino’s Pizza Rolls’ E.T.-esque Super Bowl spot stars a bizarre extraterrestrial, created by animatronics designer, creature FX artist and puppeteer Rick Lazzarini. Lazarrini and his team designed and built the creature, Chazmo, with partners General Mills, Gifted Youth and Dentsu Creative asking for a balance of expressiveness and sincerity to contrast actors Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson’s irreverent humor. This is Lazzarini’s sixth time working on a Big Game spot. He is known for his work on “Snakes on a Plane,” “Spaceballs,” “Hocus Pocus” and “Aliens.”

WeatherTech

Heather Elsner, senior art director, Pinnacle Advertising

Heather Elsner came up with the concept for WeatherTech’s Super Bowl LIX spot over a year ago, when it was originally conceived for Super Bowl LVIII. But the brand decided not to pay the $7 million to be in last year’s game and aired ads in the pre-game instead. Elsner continued to work on the campaign over the months since, prepping it for this year’s game. 

“No detail got past Heather, from selecting the type of gym shorts worn on the background extras to what sound effects a 1963 Lincoln Continental makes when it comes crashing to the ground after flying through the air,” said Jac Mansour, chief creative officer, Pinnacle Advertising.