Joe Flacco's New McDonald's Ad Viewed As Golden Opportunity
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Joe Flacco is the Ravens' $120 million man, who happens to like McDonald's. The fast food giant just unveiled its new commercial starring Flacco.
Mary Bubala reports industry experts say the golden arches are a great launching pad for him.
The new McDonald's ad featuring Ravens QB Flacco and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick is a modern twist on a 1993 spot with Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
The new ad pokes fun at the Super Bowl blackout when the quarterbacks suddenly find themselves playing in the dark.
Flacco's teammates reacted to the new ad.
"I think I could've done a better job, but you know Joe did do a good job," Haloti Ngata said with a laugh.
"I don't have any thoughts on that. That's not my forte. I would definitely like to stick to football. Haloti, I'm sure he could definitely do a better job. No doubt about it," Flacco responded with a laugh.
The partnership likely formed after McDonald's got wind that Flacco's first stop after signing his huge contract in March was at a McDonald's drive-thru in Aberdeen.
"I'm sure executives at McDonald's said 'This is a true ambassador, somebody who embraces us for who we are and also for the kind of guy who's an everyday, blue collar, just a normal guy,'" said David Warschawski.
Warschawski, a branding and marketing expert in Baltimore, has worked with big name clients like Cal Ripken Jr. and Michael Phelps and says Flacco has staying power on the national scene for years to come.
"Being the Super Bowl hero made Joe Flacco marketable, and made him credible, and you can never take that away from him," Warschawski said.
Flacco has also done local endorsements with Al Packer Ford, 1st Mariner Bank and Pizza Hut.
