FedEx went meta for Super Bowl XXXIX with a spot from BBDO N.Y and prolific Super Bowl director Bryan Buckley that explains, and incorporates, the 10 ingredients of a blockbuster Super Bowl ad.
They're all here: animals, cute kids, a celebrity and, of course, a cheesy pop song. When Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" cuts in behind the FedEx logo, the rest of the ads in the game know they've been punked. Ad Age’s ad reviewer rated it “maybe the funniest spot on the Super Bowl, Maybe the funniest spot on the Super Bowl, hilariously employing all the top 10 gimmicks-celebrities, dancing animals, etc.-to bury the USA Today Ad Meter needle in the red.” (It came in at No. 15, for what that’s worth.)
FedEx and BBDO would be back with an even more popular spot, "Stick," in the 2006 Super Bowl.
Director: Super Bowl ad maestro Bryan Buckley, who also directed spots including FedEx's "Desert Island," Monster.com's "When I Grow Up," TurboTax's "Love Hurts," SodaStream's "Saving the World," CareerBuilder.com's "Monkeys" and Burger King's "America's Favorite." Production company: Hungry Man. Director of photography: Jo Willems.
BBDO chief creative officer: David Lubars. Executive creative director: Eric Silver. Associate creative director/copywriter: Dan Kelleher. Associate creative director/art director: Jerome Marucci. Director of music production: Rani Vaz. Executive producer: Elise Greiche.
FX/SFX: Quiet Man. Editorial: MacKenzie Cutler. Editor: Gavin Cutler.
BRAND: FedEx
YEAR: 2005
AGENCY: BBDO
SUPERBOWL: XXXIX
QUARTER AIRED: Q1