Rocket Adds Live ‘Country Roads’ Sing-Along to Super Bowl Commercial, in Bid for ‘Moment of Unity’

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Like Coca-Cola once did, Rocket Cos. tried to use a commercial to teach the world to sing — in perfect harmony.

The company, which offers mortgages among other financial services, orchestrated an in-stadium sing-along during Fox’s Sunday broadcast of Super Bowl LIX, cajoling a crowd at New Orleans’ Caesars’ Superdome to come together and belt out John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” just after a 60-second commercial used the popular tune to talk about helping people fulfill a dream of achieving home ownership.“We are using the Super Bowl as a moment of unity,” says Jonathan Mildenhall, Rocket’s chief marketing officer, during a recent interview. “Let’s be honest,” he added. “’Take Me Home, Country Roads’ is one of very few songs, probably — I can only think of “Sweet Caroline’ — that when you play it anywhere in the world, everyone sings.” Rocket’s effort was ambitious.

Yes, the history of advertising offers examples of commercials and ad campaigns that are both widely popular and inspirational, including Coca-Cola’s revered 1971 “Hilltop” ad that featured a multicultural group of singers warbling about how they’d “like to buy the world a home / And furnish it with love.” But the consumer reaction is never guaranteed.

The mission hinged on a “little bit of luck and a lot of coordination,” says Mildenhall. And there was some risk. On TV, the sound of the song coming from the loudspeakers seemed louder than the crowd.