Tubi Unveils a Rabbit Hole in Super Bowl LVII

Fox Corporation's video on demand service Tubi unveiled their brand personality during Super Bowl LVII by joining forces with creative agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address for their Rabbit Hole campaign.

The spots featured giant rabbits leading people down a metaphorical entertainment rabbit hole, taking them on an engaging and personalized journey through Tubi's expansive library of content. It was an ambitious move by the brand to introduce itself and invite viewers into its interest-based and personalized library for the long haul.

The Creative

A giant rabbit, similar to Alice in Wonderland, kidnaps people and throws them down content rabbit holes for a humorous Super Bowl spot created by advertising agency Mischief. Directed by Tom Kuntz, the spot is an impressive success from a creative standpoint.

It also made a strong case for Tubi's strengths, as it demonstrated how their streaming library of shows and movies can meet any taste or need. Through clever animation, the commercial demonstrated how people can find what they're searching for from Tubi's extensive library of films and TV shows.

The ad showcases everything great about Tubi, and encourages users to explore the platform. In it, viewers are literally plucked out of their daily lives by giant gray rabbits and dropped into an exciting rabbit hole of media on Tubi - where they can choose from an amazing selection of content.

Mischief's creative team sought a story that captured Tubi's unique offerings and featured an iconic mascot: the Rabbit Hole, symbolizing the depth of content available on Tubi. To tell this tale, they employed visual metaphors such as bubbles to represent all that content available on Tubi.

Tubi wanted its Super Bowl campaign to be more playful than traditional ads, according to Mischief co-founder and chief creative officer Greg Hahn. To achieve this unique personality, the goal was to create an unexpected brand presence.

He also acknowledged the ad as one of the most impactful ads seen during the game, helping Tubi reach new consumers and earn its first major advertising award - an Effie. According to He, this ad was among the most important ones seen during that period and introduced them to Tubi by name.

In addition to their ad, Tubi also released a 15-second promo with Fox Sports during the fourth quarter of the game. This spot featured an interface simulating Tubi homepage functionality and was clearly one up on other streaming platforms that aired during playtime.

The Campaign

The advertising industry is always on the hunt for innovative ways to capture consumers' attention, particularly during Super Bowl ads that can cost upwards of $7 million for a 30-second spot.

On Sunday, Tubi, the Fox Corporation-owned streaming service that made its debut with three spots, used mischievous humor and an unconventional approach to grab viewers' attention. Created by agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address, these ads sought to give Tubi personality rather than simply tapping into its extensive library of movies and shows.

First, Tubi unveiled "Rabbit Hole," a 60-second commercial featuring huge, mute rabbits grabbing people away from their real lives and throwing them into an endless virtual reality rabbit hole where entertainment and escapism are seemingly limitless. This clever ad garnered plenty of attention and earned itself top billing on our list of best Super Bowl ads (ADWEEK, 2/12).

Tubi didn't stop there: It also released a second ad that mocked Fox Sports during the commercial break. This one featured NFL commentators Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen discussing the Chiefs' 38-35 win against the Eagles, ending with an illusion of a smart TV menu, allowing viewers to toggle away from Fox Sports toward Tubi.

The Tubi ad was widely praised, yet it also caused some people to get nervous and distracted from the football game. Even the NFL defended it, saying that viewers may have mistakenly switched off their live streams during halftime show due to its clever design.

Though the ad was widely received, some experts questioned its suitability for getting Tubi noticed by customers. Ultimately, however, the Tubi ad got people talking and had them sharing their reactions on social media platforms.

Another ad to grab consumers' attention during the Super Bowl was Jeep's spot, featuring stuffed animals in the front seat dancing to music played through a Jeep 4xe. Although Jeep also used its "Freedom is Electric" tagline in this ad, it didn't quite have the same impact as Tubi's ad.

The Brand

Branding is an intangible asset that helps customers identify a company and its products. This allows consumers to distinguish one company's offerings from competitors, making it simpler for businesses to introduce new items and services. Furthermore, marketers can increase the lifetime value of existing customers by encouraging them to spend more money on the same item over time.

In this context, a brand can be defined as anything from a company logo to a slogan or tagline. The best ones are memorable enough that customers want to share them with their friends and family; some even have cult followings like Apple's iconic iMac which still commands admiration today.

Brands face a daunting challenge: how to differentiate their products from competitors while still producing high-quality items. This is where an experienced creative team comes into play, creating unique personalities that are both playful and sophisticated.

Tubi Rabbit Hole presented a challenge: find an engaging way to showcase their content library while simultaneously encouraging viewers to take a journey down the rabbit hole. To their credit, agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address's creative solution earned them a Super Clio award from an industry jury.

The Audience

Tubi, a division of Fox Corporation, made an impact on Super Bowl viewers with three brand new spots that aired during the big game. Ad agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address took an innovative approach to streaming wars by drawing inspiration from Alice in Wonderland's rabbit hole narrative.

In this campaign, six-foot rabbits kidnap people in their homes and on the street, leading them down a rabbit hole of Tubi content. The ads depict various settings such as a woman cooking in her kitchen, students studying in libraries and janitors cleaning hallways.

The rabbits then throw them down a rabbit hole onto Tubi app, filled with movies, TV shows and other content they didn't realize they were looking for. It's an amusing take on how people are treated across various screens that beautifully showcases the depth and breadth of what can be found there.

Tubi is an AVOD platform offering over 40,000 movies and TV shows with 100+ local news and sports channels, 400+ entertainment partners, as well as Tubi Originals that continue to expand the library. The service provides a personalized and interests-based experience tailored to suit a range of tastes and preferences.

Tubi's commercials showcase its distinct offering and expanding brand, showing off the platform's personality in full force. This is an effective strategy to boost brand recognition and introduce consumers to its vast library of ad-free content.

But it was also a deceptive strategy that left at-home viewers in disbelief and uncertain of how their TV screen had been redirected to Tubi. The ad opened with Fox Sports announcers Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen as they discussed the game between Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.

Once they had finished speaking, the screen shifted to a menu screen that appeared similar to that of a smart TV interface. As the cursor scrolled along, it opened the Tubi app and selected Mr. & Mrs. Smith to watch.