• by Tanya Gazdik , February 2, 2015

Carnival Corp. broke its first-ever Super Bowl spot with the aim of connecting emotionally with consumers, especially those who have never taken a cruise.

The understated 60-second spot, "Come Back to the Sea," created by BBDO Atlanta, combines cinematic images of the ocean with an outtake of a speech by President John F. Kennedy.

In the distinctive voiceover, President Kennedy talks about people's universal connection with the sea.

"We are tied to the ocean... and when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it ... we are going back from whence we came," President Kennedy says.

The creative concept includes reverence and elegance, says Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation.

"Our existing guests already know that each time they go back to the sea on one of our ships, it is a unique experience that helps them connect in a special way with themselves, family, friends and the world,” Donald says in a release. “We wanted to convey that same feeling with people who have never cruised by showing the magnificence of the sea and its special place in our lives, and why cruising is a great way to relax, reconnect and recharge."

The overall goal is to successfully share that cruising is not what some people think it is, and to debunk untrue common myths that keep people from taking a cruise, he adds.

Great visuals and the unique narration made the spot good, says Robert Kolt, an advertising instructor at Michigan State University, which chose the spot as one of the best of the Super Bowl broadcast Feb. 1.

“Most people are not thinking about Carnival as a Super Bowl advertiser, so just presence in the game made the ad unique,” Kolt tells Marketing Daily.

Hollywood director Wally Pfister shot for nine days in Barcelona, Spain, including five days onboard the Regal Princess ship, the newest ship in the company's Princess Cruises line.

Gathering visuals of the open sea and from cruise vacations, Pfister and BBDO created a film-quality, documentary-style final spot.

"When creating a commercial of this kind, we knew we had a big task ahead of us because we aren't just asking consumers to purchase a product or widget, but instead, we are hoping to move them to feel a certain way about cruising," says Pfister, the Hollywood cinematographer known for his work on “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” trilogy, in a release.

The spot transcends the typical cruise commercial, he says.

“We worked with great care to bring these beautiful images together with (President Kennedy’s) speech about the sea in a meaningful and respectful way,” Pfister says.