VCU news

By Leila Ugincius

The Super Bowl is truly event TV – including the breaks in the action. In fact, many nonfans of football will tune in just to see the commercials.

It’s a particularly special night for Virginia Commonwealth University, whose Brandcenter graduate program has produced dozens upon dozens of alums who create those must-talk-about ads.

While copywriter Gabe Sherman, who graduated from the Brandcenter in 2014, has had a hand in regional Super Bowl ads in the past, last night was his first full-fledged, “blockbuster” nationwide ad.

The spot for Mountain Dew Baja Blast features Becky G having a boring day at home, which takes an unexpected turn when the Mountain Dude gives her a MTN Dew Baja Blast. The singer and actress is suddenly transported to a surreal boat party off the tropical coast of The Mountain, complete with singing seals and a performance from musical star Seal like you’ve never seen.

For more star power, the spot was directed by New Zealand actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi “and will grab people’s attention,” Sherman said. “My team and I like to say that this spot will blow people’s minds ... in a good way.”

Celebrities always make a big splash, and this year’s Super Bowl ads featured icons such as Matthew McConaughey, the Muppets, a surprise appearance from Bill Murray and an iconic pair of eyebrows.

“Eugene Levy was great to work with,” said Lyle Yetman, a 2004 Brandcenter copywriting graduate who worked on the Little Caesars spot with the Canadian comedian and actor. “But his eyebrows are total divas.”

Yetman’s team leaned into the absurd when developing the spot, he said. “People have been clamoring to see more from Eugene Levy’s eyebrows. And we’re giving it to them.”

The idea sprang the reaction they’d see when people tried the pizza chain’s Crazy Puffs.

“They’d take a bite, and they’d be so surprised at how great they were that their eyebrows would go up and they’d say something like, ‘Whoa!’ – or more likely, ‘Holy [expletive]!’” Yetman said. “The spot came out of that moment of someone’s expectations being utterly blown away.”

His own reaction to seeing his work in front of one of the world’s biggest audiences is similar.

“It’s always exciting,” Yetman said. “It is the premier TV ad showcase in the world. So, you can’t play by the normal rules. You play by Super Bowl rules. There’s a lot of pressure, there’s a lot of money, there are a lot of eyeballs, so you’ve got to make sure you’re putting out your best. Because you will hear about it!”

Sherman added that it’s nerve-wracking to know that more than 100 million TV viewers may not just see the ads but pay a high level of attention to them.

“It’s not just regular people watching – the entire advertising industry is watching. These ads are judged by everyone at every agency,” he said. “So they can be career-defining. … [But] while the pressure to make something amazing is massive, having an idea I love that has come to life almost exactly how I saw it in my head … it’s truly special, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.”

From Google’s tug-at-the-heartstrings dream job ad to the first look of Rocket Mortgage’s full rebrand, here is the roster of 17 ad campaigns that 30 Brandcenter alums helped create for this year’s Super Bowl, along with the ad agencies.

Booking.com

Tim Gordon (copywriting, 2008)

Zulu Alpha Kilo

Bosch

Chris Colliton (experience design, 2012)

Droga5

Google

Tristan Smith (copywriting, 2009)

Google Creative Lab

Kia

Gabi Levi (creative brand management, 2019)

David & Goliath

Little Caesars

Will Dean (art direction, 2004), Kerry O’Connor (strategy, 2015), Lyle Yetman (copywriting, 2004)

McKinney Durham

Michelob Ultra

Jessica Sugerman (art direction, 2017)

Wieden + Kennedy NYC

Mike’s Amazing

Camile Walker (art direction, 2020)

Havas

Mountain Dew

Gabe Sherman (copywriting, 2014)

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

Nerdwallet

Kate Power (copywriting, 2021), Chrissy Boals (art direction, 2021), Hannah Jackson (creative brand management, 2023)

Deutsch LA

Oikos

Mollie Partesotti (strategy, 2009)

FCB Chicago

ON

Boris Opacic (art direction, 2106), Raquel Fereshetian (art direction, 2024)

Flowershop

Ritz

Morgan Aceino (strategy, 2011), Tiffany Boggs (creative brand management, 2022), Jerry Hoak (art direction, 2005), Ed Keithly (strategy, 2024), Marissa Perazelli (strategy, 2014)

The Martin Agency

Rocket Mortgage

Jacob Abernathy (experience design, 2010), Will Decher (copywriting, 2010)

Mirimar

Totinos pizza rolls

Charlie Hudson (strategy, 2021), Alyssa Ollis (art direction, 2010)

Dentsu

Tubi

Howard Finkelstein (copywriting, 2005), Ross Fletcher (art direction, 2012), Hannah Hugeback (strategy, 2022)

Mischief

Uber Eats

Shelby Lemons (art direction, 2016)

Special US

Yahoo

Phil Hadad (copywriting, 2012)

Freelancer