In Hard Rock’s Super Bowl debut, the famous hotel and casino chain showcases its new guitar-shaped resort tower near Miami with the help of an all-star cast anchored by Jennifer Lopez.
The 60-second spot from VaynerMedia—its first work for Hard Rock—was directed by Michael Bay and stars DJ Khaled, A-Rod and Pitbull, alongside Lopez, who headlined Super Bowl LIV’s halftime show with Shakira. It aired in the second quarter and follows the theft of J-Lo’s “bling cup” from her hotel suite.
Less than a week before the Big Game, the ad was edited to remove a scene with basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar following the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed former NBA star Kobe Bryant.
“Given the news,” the company said in a statement, “we immediately made the decision to remove scenes including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that could be considered insensitive.” Hard Rock was hardly alone in its decision; several other brands including Hummer, Hyundai’s Genesis and Planters also revised their ad strategies in the wake of the tragedy.
BRAND: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
AGENCY: VaynerMedia
QUARTER AIRED: Q2
SUPER BOWL: LIV
YEAR: 2020