Duracell Powers Up NFL Seahawks-Niners Rivalry In New Quantum Campaign
By Barry Janoff
July 28, 2014: One of the best rivalries in the NFL in recent years will remain intense this season when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers.
Thanks to Duracell, football fans won't have to wait until Nov. 27 and Dec. 14 when the two teams face off in home-and-home games.
A campaign breaking this week for Duracell Quantum, "On the Line," pits the Niners against the Seahawks in a pair of TV spots, one seen from Seattle's offensive side of the line as quarterback Russell Wilson tries to lead the team to a last-second, game-winning touchdown; the other from San Francisco's defensive side as linebacker Patrick Willis and crew try to stop Wilson.
The push coincides with Procter & Gamble brand Duracell's third season as the official "trusted battery of the NFL," and supports the league's use of Duracell Quantum in such devices as coach headsets, noise-cancelling modules and wireless microphones, which "facilitate seamless coach-to-player and coach-to-coach communication."
Although the Seahawks defeated the Niners twice in three games last season — including a 23-17 win in the NFC championship, which sent Seattle to Super Bowl XLVIII — there is no clear-cut winner here. The action in both spots begins with five seconds to play, with Seattle driving for a game-winning TD and the Niners preparing to shut the Seahawks down. They both end with Wilson attempting to dive over the goal line and Willis meeting him in a mid-air collision, with no clear outcome.
According to Duracell, more than 650 batteries are used by every NFL team in each game.
Willis has been a Duracell spokesman since the inception of the NFL alliance, including a spot in 2012, Trust Your Power, which tells the story of how he overcame numerous obstacles to become an All-Pro, which has received more than 2.2 million views on YouTube.
According to Duracell, Quantum "is the only battery trusted by the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks to power game day. Over 650 batteries are used during every game to facilitate critical communication within the team. Duracell batteries are used in a wide variety of devices including coach headsets, noise-cancelling modules and wireless microphones. They power seamless coach-to-player and coach-to-coach communication, and even the national anthem performance."
Regarding its Niners spot, "The San Francisco 49ers and the NFL only trust Duracell Quantum to power game day. Duracell batteries facilitate seamless coach-to-player and coach-to-coach communication, and even power the national anthem performance. Over 650 batteries are used during every game, powering critical communication within the team through devices including coach headsets, noise-cancelling modules and wireless microphones."
The Seahawks spot begins with a shot of a scoreboard showing five seconds left in a game. The Seattle offensive coordinator, seated in a coach's box, says over his headset to Russell, "We got one shot. Let's go." He then calls a play that Russell relates in the huddle.
A voiceover says, "When the game's on the line, the NFL trusts Duracell Quantum to power their game-day communication."
When the play begins, Russell eludes several tacklers and heads toward the goal. As he does, we see Willis shadowing him from the defensive side. The two meet above the goal, and before there is a resolution, the scene cuts to a shot of a Duracell Quantum as the voiceover says, "Lasts up to 35% longer than the competition.
In the Niners spot, a defensive coach on the sidelines transmits a play to Willis, who then relates it to his teammates on the field. After a few seconds, the coach says to Willis, "He's keeping it," which sends Willis airborne to stop Wilson.
The brand spends about $50 million a year on media, according to Kantar Media, New York. P&G this month moved its Duracell account from Acme Idea to Anomaly, New York.
Back to Home Page