Many companies release their commercials ahead of the big game. A 30-second commercial spot during the 2021 Super Bowl cost $5.5 million, so every second counts.
The Claim
In a tweet, user @Profeta999 pointed out the similarities in the Super Bowl commercials for Indeed and Guaranteed Rate.
The tweet shows screenshots from each commercial that seem to show the same clip of a father giving his daughter a piggy-back ride in their living room. The tweet claims the companies used the same stock video.
The Facts
The tweet uses screenshots from a January 28 article from Muse, a news site for coverage of creativity in advertising that is part of the Clio network.
Muse describes Indeed’s 60-second commercial as an “emotional approach” expected to play during the first quarter of the game. It was created by 72ndSunny.
The clip appears at about the 0:29-second mark.
The commercial from Guaranteed Rate, titled “Believe You Will,” is the company’s first Super Bowl spot and “features footage of underdog athletes achieving their dreams.” It was created in-house.
The clip appears at about the 0:52-second mark.
Ads of the World, an advertising archive also part of the Clio network, responded to the tweet with a clip showing the commercials back-to-back.
The clip is only about one second long in each commercial and they are both part of a montage of other videos.
“During the commercial shoot, our team had to work through various Covid-19 situations to ensure the quality story was told,” a representative from Indeed said in a statement to Newsweek. “One of the production shots had to be cancelled and we were able to fill a specific need through a content house.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to confirm if other advertisers were able to use this clip, which is only about one second in duration. We do not plan to change the clip, or the ad, as the spirit remains the same, one of conveying hope and optimism to job seekers in their job search.”
Newsweek reached out to Guaranteed Rate for comment.
The Ruling
True.
The video clips are identical. The clip is only about one second long in each commercial, but they are the same.