On Sunday night, advertisers spent roughly $7 million for a 30-second ad spot during the Super Bowl. It’s an absurd number until you consider all of the viewers who tune in to watch only the advertisements.
For one night every year, what goes on during breaks in the action matters a lot to the brands attempting to capture an audience.
For $7 million, you want everything flashing across the screen in those 30 seconds to be perfection. I point this out because perfection came across our screen in the second half of the Big Game — in the form of a Michelob Ultra ad that gave gearheads a whiff of nostalgia. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback-turned-broadcaster Tony Romo kicks off the ad by pouring a Michelob Ultra from an Al Czervik-esque staff bag.
The ad is meant to highlight the beer and Netflix’s soon-to-be-released PGA Tour series “Full Swing,” but there’s an equipment Easter egg in the first few seconds as Romo pulls the tap handle. Situated inside the bag is a set of irons that were originally released 22 years ago: Titleist DCI 762.
With a hefty price tag on the ad spot, one would assume Michelob Ultra would spring for a set of irons from the last few years. Surely they can afford something more recent, right? While we don’t know for sure why DCI 762 was tapped, here’s a little bit of history behind the irons: The better-player set was designed around a multi-material carbon and mylar insert in the cavity that provided an improved feel at impact, especially on off-center hits. The badge is common technology with many of today’s irons, it was considered a game-changer in the iron space in 2001.
So what’s a set of 22-year-old irons doing in a Super Bowl ad? First off, take a closer look at the muscle pad: the “Titleist 762” stamping has been removed. Michelob likely didn’t want to play favorites, so they removed all visible markings, outside of the DCI logo on the toe. And with the ad spot pushing the Tour’s new Netflix series, it’s very likely the Tour didn’t want to play favorites either.
In the end, Michelob decided DCI 762 was the best iron for the job. The black section in the cavity makes the irons somewhat stand out, to the point this gearhead noticed in a matter of seconds.
A suggestion for future Super Bowl ads with golf clubs in the shot: Consider the classic DCI 962 or 990 if you want to keep gearheads off the scent. They are both better options. Trust me.
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