Instacart's Super Bowl ad features several iconic US advertising characters.
Instacart's Super Bowl ad features several iconic US advertising characters.
An expat Kiwi advertising creative has played a leading role in one of this year’s big Super Bowl ads, where a 30-second slot sells for as much as US$7 million-$8m ($12.3m-$14.1m).
Instacart’s ad - which will screen in the second quarter of today’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefsand the Philadelphia Eagles - features several famous US advertising mascots, including Cheetos’ Chester Cheeto, the Energizer Bunny, Old Spice Guy, Kool-Aid Man, the Jolly Green Giant and the Heinz wiener dogs.
Behind the scenes, expat Kiwi and LA-based TBWA/Chiat/Day executive creative director Kirsten Rutherford has played a leading role in bringing the characters to life.
“Think Avengers-meets-grocery-delivery!” says Rutherford from Los Angeles. “It’s part of a new brand platform created with Chiat, showing how Instacart takes care of groceries so people can focus on what really matters.”
The ‘We’re Here’ ad, she said, had been six months in the making and was grocery delivery company Instacart’s first Super Bowl ad.
“To be honest, as a Kiwi, it’s just so fantastic to be able to do this in my career,” says Rutherford.
“New Zealand to me has always been the absolute hotbed of creativity. I’m so proud every time I see New Zealanders being involved in these things overseas. It’s inspiring for the other kids in New Zealand who want to go out and do the big stuff too.”
The Instacart ad will feature in the Super Bowl coverage in the US today alongside other ads from the likes of Stella Artois (featuring David Beckham and Matt Damon), Bosch (Antonio Banderas) and Häagen-Dazs (Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez).
Rutherford said the ad was a “massive play” for Instacart and there had been nothing but positive feedback so far.
“We had a wonderful conversation with Instacart six months ago. We pitched for the project and they were amazing. They basically gave us feedback within a couple of days.”
A number of creative ideas had been pitched initially, before landing on the winning formula.
Kiwi Kirsten Rutherford was part of the creative brains behind Instacart's Super Bowl ad featuring iconic US advertising characters.
“They were particularly excited by this one where we’re gathering together all of these amazing brands that they have under their roof. It evolved a little bit over the time as we considered how we would bring our brands in, but they were really receptive to it from the get-go and we were able to hit the ground running pretty quickly on it.”
She said there had been a lot of work involved in signing off each of the brands for the ad.
“There were over 200 stakeholders in this. So every brand had a team of approvers they would bring to the conversation as well. I think my legal team probably wet the bed a few times, but they’re absolutely amazing.
“It’s been the biggest challenge I’ve ever seen from a business affairs standpoint and everyone has completely, as the Americans say, crushed it.
“I love the fact that so many brands were so eager to be a part of the big game as well. Some of the brands have been in the big game before, others not so much.”
Rutherford said she was excited about her and her team’s work appearing on the biggest advertising stage.
“This is bespoke. It has the pomp and circumstance. It has the talent and I say talent in this case, not necessarily celebrity, but mascot talent. It’s been a great opportunity.”
As well as the animated characters, the ad features Isaiah Mustafa as the Old Spice Guy. He was “fantastic” on the day of the shoot, says Rutherford, working with a cast on his foot as he recovered from an Achilles injury.
And another inside secret: the makers used about four Heinz wiener dogs on the day of the shoot - with the magic of special effects, dozens of them feature in the finished ad. “It was a mix of real-life action shoot and putting our characters in there as well.”
Rutherford worked for DDB, M&C Saatchi and FCB in New Zealand before leaving in 2004. She spent almost a decade in the UK working for agencies such as 4Creative and Saatchis and brands including Honda, Amnesty International, Tesco and the Museum of London.
In 2013, she moved to Los Angeles, working initially for 72 and Sunny before arriving at her “spiritual home” of Chiat Day.
“I’ve been very spoiled,” she says.
“Working in LA at the original sort of West Coast LA advertising agency, I love this intersection between culture, creativity, and entertainment.”
New Zealand remains firmly in her heart - she has shot some commercials in Aotearoa. “I’m so thrilled that Americans are seeing how wonderful New Zealand is when it comes to shooting and the creativity that we have.”
She was also delighted to be involved in a Super Bowl ad. “It’s just been a brilliant experience all up and I want to do it again next year. I’ve got the itch now.”
Today’s Super Bowl takes place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It will be broadcast on TVNZ and also on Sky TV via ESPN.
With the game kicking off at 12.30pm NZT, the Super Bowl halftime show - featuring Kendrick Lamar - should begin around 2pm.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
