84 Lumber Website Swamped After Super Bowl Ad
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Four substantial servers spread out around the country were not enough for the flood of people who found their way to 84 Lumber's website to see the conclusion of the company's Super Bowl commercial. The servers were overwhelmed and crashed more than once since the spot aired at halftime during the game.
When the NFL decided the commercial was too political, the advertising creative team decided to air the spot just up to the point of controversy – a border wall – and send viewers to the internet to see how the story ends.
Brunner Advertising President Scott Morgan said 84 Lumber wanted to elevate the "awareness of the 84 Lumber brand, what they stood for, their culture, and their vision."
They needed to break through the clutter, they needed to be disruptive, they are not Coca Cola, they are 84 Lumber and this is their first time in the Super Bowl," he said. "I think we blew the goal away, I really do."
All the casting was done in Mexico. In the commercial – which is more like a small movie – the woman and young girl playing mother and daughter decide to move to a place where they can see a better life. You see them traveling, seeking rides, hoping a train. Inter-cut with their journey you see the things 84 Lumber is known for, construction workers, lumber, and work going on in the hot sun.
Watch full ad below:
Our complete Super Bowl story. See a mother & daughter's symbolic journey toward becoming legal American citizens. https://t.co/AiI3MLrVd5
— 84 Lumber Company (@84LumberNews) February 6, 2017
Eventually in the online version the mother and daughter arrive at a border wall and you can see the mother's disappointment. But the daughter who has crafted an American Flag from scraps remains hopeful and its then they notice a huge door in the wall. As they approach the door you see one of the workman, a satisfied smile on his face, driving away with his construction equipment and lumber in the back of his pickup.
As the mother and daughter push open the door and enter the brightness on the other side you again see the back of the truck with the tagline on screen: "The will to succeed is always welcome here." And then the 84 Lumber logo appears.
Less than 24 hours after the spot first aired during the game Morgan said more than ten million views of the video have been recorded across all formats.
Morgan says 84 Lumber needs to hire 400 people to handle a planned expansion, but not just any people, which is the point the spot is trying to make.
"They want people who are seeking a better way for themselves. Seeking an opportunity to work for a company that is open minded and will put them in a rewarding job. People who maybe haven' t been seen, or have maybe been overlooked."
In a word they are saying inclusive is more than a catch phrase to 84 Lumber.
The measure of the ad's effectiveness will come with time and hiring.
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter