Entertainment

See the Super Bowl commercial that was 'censored' by Fox for referencing Trump’s border wall

See the Super Bowl commercial that was 'censored' by Fox for referencing Trump’s border wall
See the Super Bowl commercial that was 'censored' by Fox for referencing Trump’s border wall See the Super Bowl commercial that was 'censored' by Fox for referencing Trump’s border wall

Lots of Super Bowl ads had some kind of underlying political message.

But none was as bold as the statement made by 84 Lumber referencing US President Donald Trump’s border wall – which Fox, the Super Bowl broadcaster, reportedly censored because it was deemed controversial.

Campaign US reported that the script for the commercial was rejected by the network for being “too political” and the ad was cut short to remove the ending.

The commercial was created by advertising agency Brunner for 84 Lumber – a construction supplies company.

Titled The Journey Begins, it shows a mother and daughter travelling across Mexico in an attempt to make it into America, only to find a massive wall stopping them from crossing the border.

The ad then invites viewers to watch the conclusion of the story online.

84 Lumber’s site crashed almost immediately when the extended cut of the ad was made available during halftime.“Ignoring the border wall and the conversation around immigration that’s taking place in the media and at every kitchen table in America just didn’t seem right,” Rob Schapiro, of Brunner, told the Washington Post. “If everyone else is trying to avoid controversy, isn’t that the time when brands should take a stand for what they believe in?”Schapiro added that Fox would not let them air “the wall”.

84 Lumber said in a statement that the ad is designed to attract prospective employees.It said: “84 Lumber’s Super Bowl spot is the launch of a national recruiting campaign for the company’s management training programme. The campaign is targeting males aged 20 to 29 that want to take control of their careers and embody the entrepreneurial spirit that runs rampant at 84 Lumber.”