Super Bowl XLVII: Super Bowl, Super Biscuit

Noam Murro, Mike Maguire, Tim Godsall and Clay Weiner of Biscuit Filmworks have all directed spots appearing in this year’s Super Bowl XLVII for Taco Bell, GoDaddy.com, AXE and PEPSI. It’s another busy year for the company’s diverse roster, sought again by branders seeking the sell on the ad world’s biggest stage:

“We are fortunate to have deep, long-standing relationships with some of the smartest minds in the advertising business,” says Shawn Lacy, Biscuit Filmworks co-founder and managing director on Super Bowl season.

“When agencies have been entrusted by their brand clients to develop creative for $4million worth of airtime, that's a lot of pressure – and we strive to deliver to their incredibly high expectations.”

Noam Murro, Biscuit Filmworks director and co-founder was kept busy directing Viva Young and its teaser Grandpa Loco for Taco Bell’s through Deutsch LA:

“Deutsch started with a blank piece of paper, came up with a great idea and did it brilliantly,” says Murro on the campaign. “The issue with any spot is always how good the original idea is – and they nailed it with this one. In terms of execution the agency and client were very open to some of the unconventional situations I brought into the narrative. I think that the spot works so well because we all had the same goal – to celebrate life in a grand, weird and elegant way that shouts from the screen and catches us off guard. “

Mike Maguire helmed two spots this year, GoDaddy.com’s Your Big Idea and Perfect Match (the latter starring Bar Refaeli). Maguire agrees that GoDaddy’s spots have historically been memorable and sexy. He sees this as great brand heritage – but also admits that it’s not an easy thing to pull off:

“When you’re working on a Super Bowl spot it’s really about making a commercial that people like, get and can laugh at,” says Maguire. “Obtaining all three is not easy. They may like it, but might not laugh, they might laugh but might not get it. I think Deutsch nailed it with their GoDaddy spot concepts for this year’s Super Bowl.

“When you say, ‘Bar Refaeli and GoDaddy’ your mind goes to a specific place and makes an assumption about what this spot will look like,” continues Maguire on the yet-to-be-seen game time commercial. “I think that this spot will really surprise viewers and grab people’s attention – not only for the idea, but also for the production approach that is very simple and pared down, an approach that really lets the idea itself shine. Bar Refaeli was such a trooper. She was great to work with – for all 66 takes, since I know people will be asking.”

Tim Godsall, who directed AXE Lifeguard (above) for this year’s broadcast admits that the spot wasn’t originally planned to air during the Super Bowl, ending up in the mix after it tested well with audiences.

“We shot two :60 second films that were meant to air in different countries and put this 'space voyage' theme out there,” he reveals. “Then they tested it, and it went well, so they decided to put one of the ads on the Super Bowl – but in a :30 second format. I was going to have a bake sale to raise another 3.8 million dollars to get the :60 second version on air instead but I couldn't get it together.”

Although there was no bake sale, Godsall speaks highly of BBH London:

“My experiences have been amazing,” he admits. “BBH have very smart people trying to make great work. They're always open-minded and collaborative. There's no extraneous pressure or politics dragged into the equation. The goal is always simple: take this idea and this budget and make the best film you can. At the end of this shoot, I told BBH just to give me a desk in the cellar of their building and I'll wait for assignments. I love working with them.”

Maguire also conveys genuine praise for both GoDaddy.com and Deutsch NY:

“They wrote spots that were really simple, smart and funny,” he says. “We were laughing the whole way through on this project. They were also very open to collaboration and did not scare away from my production approach that has a completely different look from the style of spots that GoDaddy is known for.”

Breaking down the creative concept on Your Big Idea, Maguire explains how lining up the eyes was a key component to holding the spot together:

“Whether it’s a couple in Burbank, Beijing or Bangalore the conversation flows naturally and the punch line rings through,” he says. “I wanted the hero couples to be like younger versions of my mom and dad. I brought that along with me to the shoot – literally. The American guy is wearing a fireman sweatshirt and my dad is a retired NYC fireman. In the last scene I tried to imagine what my dad would be like if he happened to strike it rich and how much of a pompous shithead he would become.”

Tune into Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans this Sunday to see kingpin brands battle it out:

“The key to a successful Super Bowl commercial is a concept that tells a great story, that is funny, impactful and flawlessly executed,” concludes Lacy on successful branding during the game. “Ads relatable to the broadest possible demographic will lead the pack – plus those memorable enough for people to be talking about them the next morning.”