Angel Soft’s Crazy Super Bowl Bet: A Commercial You’re Meant to Skip
Angel Soft bath tissue is planning to turn the concept of a Super Bowl ad upside down for this year’s Big Game, encouraging viewers to not watch, but use its 30 seconds to take a bathroom break instead. The spot, timed close to halftime, will see Angel Soft’s animated mascot Angel with a countdown timer letting viewers know how much time they have left.
Angel Soft teed up the spot last week during the NFC Championship Game in a brand integration spot featuring Fox NFL analyst and former New England Patriots star Julian Edelman. The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Edelman in New York this week to talk about the spot, his former teammate Tom Brady’s work in the Fox broadcast booth, and the matchup for the Big Game.
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Let’s talk Angel Soft. How did you get connected to these guys?
They saved me in a crazy predicament before the NFC Championship, where I had to go right before the show. I think the footage is out there and that little angel girl, she’s a sweetheart, she saved me. They pitched me this idea to come do all this media for a commercial that’s literally designed for people to use the bathroom, because we’re all glued to the TV game.
They don’t want anyone to watch. Do not watch the commercial. Go to the bathroom.
You’re familiar with the Super Bowl commercial process, but this is definitely a twist on the whole thing. This is not normally how these things go.
So you did the brand integration during the NFC Championship game. Can you give a little background, what was your initial reaction to it and what was appealing about the idea?
I said, “Is there free toilet paper?” Because I love the product. And they said, 10 years supply of free toilet paper. I was like, I’m taking it.
What are your thoughts kind of on the Super Bowl matchup? This is Chiefs-Eagles. We’ve seen this before.
We have seen this before, but you know the last time these two teams played, [Eagles running back] Saquon Barkley wasn’t involved. He’s a true difference maker. If the Philadelphia Eagles can get that run game going early, it opens up that whole offense. If the Chiefs can stop that run game, it’s going to be the Chiefs. I think it’s that simple. Both of these teams have ignored a lot of noise. I’ve been really tough on the Philadelphia Eagles with how much noise has been coming out of that damn organization. For them to mask all that and get to the Super Bowl is remarkable.
Kansas City Chiefs trying to three-peat. I mean, this has never been done, especially in the salary cap era. What they’ve done is find the pocket of learning the situations you need to be great at to win. And that’s what they’ve done. Patrick Mahomes evolving his game, winning with completely different style teams is remarkable, and I’m excited for this matchup.
This is your former teammate Tom Brady’s first time calling a Super Bowl from the Fox broadcast booth. How are you thinking about the Fox booth and the approach to this game?
Everyone asked me pre-season, how do you think Tom’s gonna do? I’m not gonna toot my own horn, but I’m gonna toot it right here. I said he wouldn’t be the same guy week one to week two to the Super Bowl. And that’s the truth. He’s grown so much throughout this whole process, which I know firsthand is so difficult, because the first time you get on the TV and the red light’s shining, we’ve been football players our whole lives, it’s different. And to watch him grow each week — last week, he killed at the NFC Championship — I just can’t wait to see his insight, his knowledge about the quarterback play, about this specific game, because no one’s playing this specific game as much as him.
With Gronk [former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, also a Fox analyst] too, it feels like the Patriots are well represented.
People like winners.
What’s the process been like for you launching the the new podcast with Gronk [Dudes on Dudes with Jules and Gronk]?
The process has been learning on the go and trying to refine and make everything as efficient and as effective as possible. Everything’s predicated around talent, your schedule. You know what I mean? So getting into that side of the world is where you used to be the person that was being asked and now you’re asking people [to do appearances], it’s new, but it’s been fun. I get to tickle parts of my brain that I haven’t tickled in a while. Your curiosity, you get to learn about people’s process, perspective, preparation for when they got ready for a big game. It’s been fun to team back up with Rob, who you know is such a fun guy to be around, such a positive energy. It’s been awesome. I’ve had so much fun doing it. I love being part of the Nuthouse Studios team, the Fox team. Anytime I’m on a team, I feel like I’m thriving.
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