After the high-profile domestic violence cases of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, the NFL is speaking out with a new Super Bowl Ad. The commercial features a woman pretending to order a pizza in a call to a 911 operator as the camera rolls over shots of a disheveled home. The operator eventually comes to understand that the woman is trying to ask for help without alerting her abuser.
The NFL created the ad in partnership with No More, an umbrella organization that connects groups working to end domestic violence and sexual assault.
The spot stems from the league’s botched response to the Ray Rice elevator incident last fall and from the glacial pace at which it became concerned about the issue. The NFL initially suspended Rice, then a running back with the Baltimore Ravens, for two games, which caused an uproar. Only after video of him knocking out his then-fiancee in an elevator surfaced did the NFL reconsider. Rice was cut by the team and suspended indefinitely; although his suspension was overturned, he has not returned to the league.
No More aired spots all last fall that featured celebrities and sports stars struggling to talk about domestic violence and the league has committed 60 seconds, worth $4.5 million, to the Super Bowl XLIX ad.
This announcement also comes soon after Sports Illustrated agreed to run an edgy anti-domestic violence ad they initially rejected. Created by UltraViolet, this ad depicts a young woman being tackled by a uniformed football player and ends showing the hashgtag “#GOODELLMUSTGO.” Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, has come under serious criticism for his perceived negligence regarding issues of domestic violence.
Watch the No More ad below. Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence, Trauma
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