By Terry Lefton – Sports Business JournalGordie Gronkowski has seen his son Rob kick a field goal before, but not since high school — and that was just once. So, when FanDuel last October asked the more famous Gronk to kick a field goal for a live Super Bowl commercial, both son and father were a bit anxious.
A year earlier, FanDuel EVP/Marketing Andrew Sneyd was meting out sound bites like M&M's that a Super Bowl ad would be “about as valuable for a sportsbook as a candy ad on Halloween night.” Consequently, his creative team built a campaign with an arc that began with the NFL playoffs and culminates with Gronk attempting a 25-yard field goal in a live spot during the first commercial pod of the third quarter.
Dollar signs are an easy way to get gamblers' attention. FanDuel is promising $10 million in free bets to be shared by all who bet at $5 or more on the Super Bowl at its site. Gronkowski, the former New England and Tampa Bay star who retired for a second time in 2022, does not have to make the kick for the payout, which makes us wonder about a “surprise” ending. “We thought this this would fray if we didn’t give away a substantial amount of money,” Giraldi said.
“Kick of Destiny” was approved in October and shot in mid-December at Dignity Health Sports Park, home field of MLS' L.A. Galaxy.Even before the anxiety of a live ad, Sneyd said the most difficult part of the entire campaign was securing the requisite approvals from the NFL, Fox and"convincing an athlete to risk failure in front of millions." Sneyd:"I’d call that a very long three-legged parlay.
Perhaps once the live shot is over, the crew will pay attention to the score of the Super Bowl. Or maybe not. “We’ll exhale finally and see if we can get off our blood pressure meds," laughed Giraldi.