The NFL Playoffs: Preparing for Battle

Football and the National Football League are perhaps the central figure in American sports culture. However, on an international basis, American football is largely misunderstood and unpopular. The following Gatorade commercial communicates the essence of the NFL playoffs in a symbolic and trans-cultural way that touches on some of the most primal rituals of humankind. Take a look.



In this video, you are brought along the journey - from the initial field of twelve playoff teams all the way down to the final deciding moment of the Super Bowl. Gatorade predictably incorporates its products throughout every stage of this physically and emotionally trying journey, but although Gatorade was the common thread throughout this ad, it was not the central theme that I gathered.

The symbolism of 'preparing for battle' was the the most powerful aspect of this commercial, for me. The verbiage noted below make the presence of this symbolism crystal clear.

"Twelve tribes converge.

Twelve plead...

Twelve prime themselves for the struggle...

Twelve take the field...

Eight collide...

Eight pay the toll...

Eight perform something selfless, relentless, beautiful...

Four catch their breath..Four clear their heads...

Four pick up the pieces...

Four recover...

Four try to do better, play harder...

Two will emerge...

Two will clash...

Two will battle...

While two show us the heart, hustle, and soul of the game...

ONE WILL BE REMEMBERED. "

While the rules of American football are largely lost in translation, the primal rituals behind 'preparing for battle' with your closest comrades is quite familiar on a trans-cultural basis. While much less is at stake during a game of football than during a savage war amongst competing forces of mankind, the parallels are quite bold and the tenseness in the air of this advertisement is quite palatable. The emotional force behind sport is captured in this Gatorade commercial - a crucial and recurring reason why Gatorade has managed to position its brand so effectively within the passionate arena of American sport.



Sources: Youtube.com, AdsOfTheWorld.com