The NFL debuted its new campaign for Super Bowl LVIII, "Born To Play," a powerful ode to the diverse and inclusive spirit of the international game of football.
On Sunday, the NFL showed off its new Superbowl ad “Born To Play” which was aired during its Superbowl game. The spot opens in a traditional Ghanaian home with a young football fanatic itching to get outdoors to play the game, imagining himself in an intense football game through the city on his way to school - alongside NFL's prominent players including Saquon Barkley (New York Giants), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints) and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Cleveland Browns).
The "Born to Play" ad opened with a young Ghanaian boy, Kwesi, wearing a Lamar Jackson jersey and watching NFL highlights on a tablet before being scolded by his father to get some sleep. Viewers of the commercial then catch a glimpse into Kwesi's daydreams the following morning.
As he runs through his home holding a football, Kwesi dodges family members and the breakfast table as if they're defenders on the field. Kwesi continues through the market, dodging Saints edge rusher Cam Jordan and then pitching the ball to Barkley - but is "intercepted" by a dog. "That's on you, bro.
Kwesi chases the dog out of the marketplace where he sees, on the other side of a fence, an American football camp.
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There, the inspiration for the commercial - two-time Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora - awaited to greet the youngster, played by Eldad Osime. "I know that look. I know that dream," Umenyiora tells Kwesi. "I had the same one. See, Kwesi - it doesn't have to be a dream anymore. It doesn't matter where you were born.
The commercial was created by 72andSunny and directed by Andrew Dosunmu, a renowned photographer-turned-director and native of Lagos, Nigeria who is celebrated for his powerful film collaborations with Travis Scott.
The ad was shot by agency 72andSunny at Makola market in Accra. They shot on a Friday and Saturday-the two busiest days of the week-in the biggest market in Accra.
“We didn’t want to recreate Ghana [in Los Angeles]. We wanted to be immersed in Ghana, so we had to go there,” said Nicole Haase, the agency’s director of production. Behind the scenes of the Super Bowl halftime commercial shot in Accra, Ghana featuring Eldad Osime and NFL top athletes, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson, and Cameron Jordan.
“The culture, the energy, the people - it's all love," Jefferson said in a behind-the-scenes clip. "As much as we love American football, we want to share that love [with] the rest of the world. "Everyone had such great positivity and excitement around what we were doing," Ellis said.
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Inspired by a speech given to NFL hopefuls at a football camp hosted by British-Nigerian former NFL player-pioneer and two-time Superbowl champion, Osi Umenyiora, the story mirrors the NFL and Osi's collective mission to encourage and offer youth around the world the life-changing experience and opportunity to play at the highest levels of the game.
"Talent is global but opportunity is not. Opening doors for international athletes is not only a passion of mine, but it's a way to give back to future generations of athletes" said Osi Umenyiora.
Umenyiora has no doubts about the potency of ability available outside North America. “(Also) people should be watching American football because their brothers are being very, very successful playing that game. “If you get an education, the chances of you doing something with yourself are actually pretty high,” he added.
Umenyiora is playing a direct role in those changes. "The NFL is life changing, and the pathway to play the sport is now a truly global one. The league's international football development programs are helping to change young people's lives and grow the game around the world.
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Growing the game of football globally and increasing the number of international athletes playing in the NFL are priorities for the league. Seeing explosive growth around the world at both the grassroots and elite levels, flag football is the most accessible format of the game.
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In addition to flag, there are a number of exciting international football development programs, including the International Player Pathway (IPP) Program, which sees the NFL work to engage and enable participation for all ages and all stages to play American football (tackle and flag formats) around the world. Established in 2017, the IPP program provides opportunities for elite international athletes to compete for a potential spot on an NFL roster.
“The momentum around the global expansion of American football is real and exciting. Our intent is to embrace and celebrate this movement through powerful communication on our biggest stage, focusing on the growth of both flag and tackle football,” said Tim Ellis, the NFL’s chief marketing officer, in a statement.
“So for them to place it there and place it right after the half-time show shows how serious they are, shows their level of commitment to what we’re doing with the program and what we’re doing in Africa.
Yet the NFL has come under fire for racial allegations in the past at the player level, and has faced criticism for a lack of diversity in its coaching and executive ranks.
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