• by Tanya Gazdik , February 2, 2017

84 Lumber’s Super Bowl spot was rejected by Fox. but the Pennsylvania-based building supply company has come up with a workaround.

The spot, created by Pittsburgh-based Brunner, will air just before halftime. 

The 90-second spot, now called “The Journey Begins,” was revamped to show a Mexican mother and daughter embarking on a journey. The spot ends before they reach their destination and viewers are directed to  http://journey84.com/ to see how it ends. That portion of the spot will not be revealed until after the Super Bowl ad has aired. 

It will convey that 84 Lumber is a destination for people who are looking to take the next step in their careers. It initiates a year-long recruitment campaign, aimed at males ages 20-29 who are seeking careers.  

84 Lumber’s intended Super Bowl spot, and in particular its depiction of a wall, was rejected by Fox as “too controversial.” The online spot conveys 84 Lumber’s message.  

“The 84 Lumber name is well-known here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, but not necessarily to the rest of the country,” said Amy Smiley, 84 Lumber’s director of marketing, before the spot was rejected. “We wanted to make sure the entire country knows who we are, what we stand for, and the types of people we want to attract.”

As it turns out, the rejection of the ad may have created just the buzz the company needed to do that.