The Super Bowl's Off-Field Winner

This year’s Super Bowl proved to be a pretty exciting game, but for those of us located outside of California and Maryland who weren’t particularly invested in the teams playing, still had plenty to focus on off the field. Social media erupted with shouts that Bane from The Dark Knight Rises was involved in the lights going out and that the loss of power was a glimpse into NBC’s "Revolution," where the future is void of electricity. Then there are the pricy commercials, which included spots for Oz the Great and Powerful, World War Z, Iron Man 3 and Fast & Furious 6.

So besides the Baltimore Ravens, who was the big winner of Super Bowl XLVII? That would be Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Showing early in the game, the Fast 6 spot caused big buzz with huge pyrotechnics, insane auto stunts and a promise that all the familiar faces of the fifth installment will be back. Even the “dead” Michelle Rodriguez made a cameo. Johnson takes lead in the ad asking Vin Diesel and crew for help. How a newcomer, who didn’t play a part in the series until the fifth movie pushed his way to the front of the marquee, I don’t know. But the actor’s likeability definitely played a part.

Johnson also starred in a milk ad that saw the star rush through the streets in his pajamas searching for milk. He passes on all kinds of situations that need a hero, but once he has his milk he “goes to work” to save the planet. It’s a fun ad that was one of the night’s strongest, partly because of the star power. Ads also played frequently throughout the pre-game and post-game shows for Snitch, which opens later this month. The film doesn’t have the hype of Fast 6, but Johnson’s presence is featured prominently. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the actor can single-handedly draw large box-office receipts, but he can bring his commanding presence into any role. See Journey 2: The Mysterious Island for an example of his control over the cameras.



The Rock has been a certified action star for a while now, but never has his status been showcased on such a large scale. It is apparent movie studios and companies entrust their reputation on showcasing a guy who got his start as a professional wrestler. Oh and did I mention The Rock became the WWE champion at “WWE Royal Rumble” a week before his Super Bowl ads aired? I guess we smell what The Rock is cooking, success.