The Minneapolis ad agency Fallon made the pitch more than a year ago. Would its new client, gluemaker Loctite, be interested in a first-ever Super Bowl ad?
"We wanted to look at that category differently. Why not do it on the market's biggest stage?" said Chris Lawrence, Fallon's director of account management. "It's all about doing the right thing."
With little hesitation, the Ohio-based maker of Super Glue agreed, even though the $4.5 million price tag for 30 seconds of broadcast time dwarfed its previous advertising budgets for an entire year.
"This is where Loctite can get the level of engagement and conversation that it deserves," said Pierre Tannoux, Loctite marketing director.
But now comes the wait for both Fallon and Loctite.
The Super Bowl ad is in the can, but the stage for the most-watched event on TV is still eight days away.
Jeff Kling, Fallon's chief creative officer, says he feels no pressure as trade journals, newspapers and even the "CBS Morning News" start anticipating winners and losers in the advertising extravaganza that has become almost as big as the game itself.
"It's about making a wonderful spot like we always do but with maybe a longer timeline," Kling said in an interview.
But the ad industry knows that some spots are more memorable than others and will be talked about for days and weeks after the game.
"Consumers have set a higher bar for production because consumers are posting their own ideas on the social Web," said Jennifer Johnson, an advertising and branding professor at the University of Minnesota. "Not to mention that everything is under immediate scrutiny with our digital connections."
Fallon was named ad agency of record by Loctite in December 2013. It rolled out its first Loctite advertising campaign in May of last year called "Win at glue — dance."
That campaign, which had a broad appeal to the HGTV audience, portrays Loctite's glue as a product for everyone. The spot features people of different walks of life and ages hip-hop dancing with a Loctite fanny pack around their waist.
The Super Bowl ad is a continuation of that theme.
But don't expect any pregame teasers, which have become popular among Super Bowl advertisers.
"There's an element of surprise in it that people won't expect from a glue company," said Lawrence.
The Loctite ad is scheduled to run in the first commercial break in the fourth quarter. "Ratings of past years happen to be very good going into the fourth quarter," said Tannoux.
The Twin Cities advertising community has a rich background in producing Super Bowl commercials.
Fallon made one for Cadillac in 2012. In 2010, Twin Cities filmmakers Ben Krueger and Cole Koehler produced a Doritos ad that was part of a Frito-Lay contest. Their spot was called "Snack Attack Samurai."
Campbell Mithun, now known as Mithun, did a spot for H&R Block in 2009.
In 2008, the one-man shop of Brian Tierney did an ad featuring Napoleon scooting around Paris in a small, red car for Garmin International.
One of the most memorable Super Bowl ads produced by a Minneapolis firm was a Fallon spot in 2000 for EDS called "Cat Herders."
Among Minnesota advertisers, Best Buy has cut the highest profile in recent years with spots in three consecutive Super Bowls.
In 2013, Best Buy's Super Bowl ad featured Amy Poehler. In 2012, the ad was a tribute to "Phone Innovators," and in 2011, Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber teamed up for the big-box retailer.
But after those three, Best Buy decided to sit out the big show in 2014 and 2015.
"We've chosen to spend our advertising dollars in different channels," spokesman Jeff Shelman said.
Loctite is one of 15 Super Bowl first-timers in a year that will see few automobile and beer commercials.
"This is a great opportunity for Fallon to do something that will create a conversation," Johnson said, "or at least something that will be memorable."
David Phelps • 612-673-7269