Daniel Defense sells guns. They had this crazy idea that Super Bowl viewers might be members of the demographic that buys guns. So they looked up the Super Bowl’s stated guidelines for advertisements, and they made a commercial they thought fit the guidelines. Nope. The Super Bowl rejected the ad, and pretty unequivocally.
The ad, which you can view here, is pretty harmless. A narrator provides a combat veteran’s inner voice as we see him, fresh home from active military service, coming into his house, hugging his wife (with a kind of awkward “we’re an actor couple” shoulder embrace), hearing his baby on the baby monitor, then picking up and holding his baby. Background music (that sounds like it was recycled from a lost episode of House, M. D.) comes to a climax as the narrator tells us that he has chosen to use the most effective tool available for defending his family. Then cut to “Daniel Defense” on a black screen with an AR-15 vector graphic underneath it. Aside from the graphic (which Daniel Defense offered to replace with an American flag), no direct mention is made of firearms.
Cheesy? A little. But, aside from the fact that Daniel Defense sells guns, the NFL really had no reason to reject it. For your reference, their guidelines run thusly:
Firearms, ammunition or other weapons are prohibited; however, stores that sell firearms and ammunitions (e.g., outdoor stores and camping stores) will be permitted, provided they sell other products and the ads do not mention firearms, ammunition or other weapons.
The ad does loosely fit this criteria. Daniel Defense primarily sells guns and gun accessories, but they do also sell other stuff (apparel and whatnot). But one wonders why these advertising stipulations are even in place. Companies advertise war movies and violent video games (with plenty of gun-toting) during the Super Bowl. And football itself is not exactly daisy chain approved. It’s a game centered on grown men smashing into each other repeatedly.
I know the NFL doesn’t want to court controversy. I get that. And this is not a First Amendment issue. The NFL is not Congress. The NFL can put a silencer on Daniel Defense all it wants in its own privately-run forum. But I think this move is hypocritical and silly.
On a brighter note, Daniel Defense is getting a huge amount of free advertisement because their commercial was rejected by the NFL. Brilliant!
I won’t be watching the Super Bowl after this slap in the face of gun rights.
So, all of you other sponsors spending the big bucks for air time to promote your products I won’t see your ads.
Neither will I.
Today’s insanity, and the hundreds responsible for it and is driving America deeper and deeper into it, will be infamous as long as time lasts. Names, Obama, Kerry, Reid, Pelousi, Kathleen Serpent, Holder, Rangel, Walters, McCain, McConnell, Clyburn will be remembered with a shutter, dates 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 and on and on, to the time of the end. Horror stories containing these names will be told at Halloween.
These dark times are the stories I’ll tell my family descendants when I am at the twilight of my, and America’s, time on the earth.
Dear NFL, no super bowl party at my house this year, and no people viewing your ads from my house. You were worried about offending someone, well, you just did.
While I frown upon the NFL’s rejection when they approve those stripper Go Daddy ads and that Nestea one that said the D-word ON LIVE TELEVISION, it won’t affect my viewership. I love the other commercials too much to let a violation of their bylaws causing them to reject a gun company be my deciding factor.
The hypocrisy is surprising, though.
Oh the horror of it! /sarcasm
I wonder if it has occurred to any of the turkeys at NFL HQ that some
might think the Indianapolis Colts are named for Colt Firearms. Perhaps the are waiting
until they resolve the Redskin’s name before dealing with the Colts ? 🙂
Goodall has revealed the fact that he is a sniveling coward bowing to leftist P.C. thought. Sad, that as the head of America’s past time, he doesn’t have the courage that used to mark Americans.
Haven’t watched the Stuper Bowl in years. Spoiled rotten brats and criminals given every excuse on the planet. Dog fighting rapists. Some say that the best part are the commercials. Are we that stupid? Commercials? That sounds only marginally better than Banging The Kardashians.
The NFL BLOWS!!!! A bunch of pantie waist moron stooges.
No surprise given that earlier this year, NFL put out an announcement that they will ban police from carrying guns into stadiums… a move which immediately caused a few states to say… nope… you don’t get to preempt our cops from carrying into a public venue, even while off-duty.
Why do we waist our time watching commercials that cost more for a 30 second add, than most of us make in a few lifetimes? We have a party, but the game is not allowed!!!
GUTLESS BASTARDS. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO FREE SPEECH? THE GUN HATERS GET ALL THE AIR TIME THEY WANT. THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY. LATEST POLLS INDICATE THAT MORE GUNS BEING SOLD LATELY, CRIME GOING DOWN. HEAR THAT cALIFORNIA?
Stupid is as stupid does. I’m not going to not watch the game however. I haven’t ever missed one yet. This act by the NFL won’t cause me to not watch. I never pay any attention to the commercials anyhow.