There are two NASCAR Super Bowl XLIX commercials floating around the intertubes, a two-plus-minute spot and a cut-down, :30 version. With airtime costing $9 million per minute ($150,000/second!), it's probably safe to assume that NASCAR will air the shorter version during the game, but we think you deserve to see the full-boat version too:
What We See: Both versions feature Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman with his giant, manly man moustache, advocating for saving America's fast-disappearing values by watching NASCAR on the NBC Sports Network (there is no mention of the Fox coverage that starts in February). Visually, it's pretty much all Offerman all the time, but the background vignettes are packed with uniquely American jingoistic icons: star-spangled thong bathing suits, rodeo bull riding, double-neck electric guitars, victory-lane donuts, giant slabs o'beef on the grill, and, oh yeah, beer. Mixed in with all of this is plenty of track action, including a Big Wreck and a scene where Offerman, wearing a now-banned Dale Sr.–style open-face helmet, edges out Kevin Harvick for the checkered flag. The music is fast paced, the copy is clever, and Offerman nails every line, including rhyming "Busches" with "tuchus" while maintaining a straight face.
What We Think: It's no secret that NASCAR is struggling to maintain its popularity. Live-ticket sales have tanked in recent years (some tracks have reduced their seating capacity almost by half since 2008), and TV viewership continued its decline in 2014. Still, there is a considerable base of die-hard and potential viewers—a recent Harris poll shows that auto racing is more popular in the U.S. than either the NHL or NBA. So yes, it's worth NASCAR's investment to promote the series, and the Super Bowl provides a viable target audience.
But is this execution the way to go? For many fans, NASCAR is as much about general entertainment as it is about racing. Parks and Recreation had a long run that started in 2009 and continued through this year's final season, and Offerman's Ron Swanson character was key to the show's popularity. I think he makes a great spokesman for NASCAR, and if winning the hearts and minds of potential viewers is that organization's goal, I think this spot will git 'er done. That said, even before the commercial has hit the airwaves, it has already drawn sharp criticism from people who are gluten-intolerant, and change.org has petitioned NBC to change or drop the spot. So will that hurt the message . . . or underscore it? What's your take?
Rating: Four out of five
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Award-winning ad man–cum–auto journalist Don Klein knows a good (or bad) car commercial when he sees one; this is his space to tell you what he thinks of the latest spots. The ad's rating is depicted on a scale of one (terrible) to five (transcendent), but everyone has an opinion when it comes to advertising, so hit Backfires below and tell us what you think, too. And be sure to read more of Don's advertising critiques here.
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