Hard Rock’s Super Bowl ad will star The Guitar Hotel and feature a legendary director
Davie-based Hard Rock International, owner of Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos and sponsor of the home of the Miami Dolphins, has produced a 60-second ad that will be aired during Super Bowl 54.
The ad’s director? Michael Bay, the man who helped create the “Bad Boys” film franchise about two Miami-area cops played by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. (The third Bad Boys film, “Bad Boys for Life,” was just released in theaters; Bay did not direct it.)
Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, said the ad will tell the Hard Rock story, including the legacy of the Seminole Tribe, which now owns and oversees the Hard Rock brand. He declined to state what exactly will unfold in the ad, but said it features “lots of celebrities and sports figures.” It’s intended to spur visits to Hard Rock’s digital channels, including its Hard Rock Rewards app.
Planning for the ad began about a year ago, Allen said; it was filmed during the opening of Hard Rock’s guitar-shaped hotel in October. Allen said the ad coincides with Hard Rock’s 50th, the NFL’s 100th; and the fact that the game is being played at the renovated Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
The spot is Bay’s first Super Bowl ad. Bay maintains a residence in Miami Beach. He could not immediately be reached for comment. VaynerMedia, the creative agency founded by lifestyle guru Gary Vaynerchuk, assisted with production.
Allen declined to say how much Hard Rock, which is privately held, spent on the spot. The New York Times reports that two political campaigns are paying Fox $10 million each to air 60-second spots during the game. Last year, according to CNBC, a 30-second ad during the 2019 game cost $5.2 million.
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 4:49 PM.
