Jamaica bargained for a lion — share of a projected 98 million US viewing audience predicted to watch the National Football League’s Super Bowl LIV championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers and may have scored a win with Stephen Marley’s reworked version of his fathers “Could you Be Loved” hit recording.
Broadcasted at a critical juncture, the first commercial aired after the halftime performance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira — the first two Latina entertainers to ever headline the event — the reggae track resounded blazing the familiar tune composed by Bob Marley, the king of the genre.
With high hopes that potential vacationers might identify with the music and message and perhaps choose beach, Caribbean and definitely Jamaica, the Jamaica Tourist Board debuted “Jamaica – the Heartbeat of the World” on Feb. 02, 2020 to the biggest American television audiences.
Neilsen — the statisticians that rate American television viewership — reported that in 2015, approximately 114 million Americans watched the NFL championship final.
That figure translates to two-third the American population and adulation for the sporting event acclaimed for attracting the biggest television audiences.
Billionaire President Donald Trump and billionaire presidential hopeful, Michael Bloomberg, also invested in the one night bonanza by doling out $5.25 million for a mere 30 seconds promotional pitch to advance their standing.
With hopes of securing a second term in the White House, the impeached leader with help from his Republican Party’s campaign funds paid the hefty price in order to convince potential voters that he is the best candidate to represent Black voters.
Spotlighting faces of African Americans a poignant message videotaped in black and white targeted and may have succeeded in showcasing the president as the ideal choice.
Spin doctors for the former mayor of New York seemed to have executed a similar strategy by incorporating images of African Americans in black and white testimonials.
And while the two political campaign ads might have been the anticipated must-see spots to view, the seventh national outing by the JTB almost guarantees that Jamaica will yield a windfall from the global exposure.
Considering the fact the government must have gambled with a huge chunk of the tourism budget and that the industry’s allotment could evaporate with a blink of an eye, Edmund Bartlett, the minister of Tourism must have been confident he would reap unprecedented returns.
For the global viewership, Marley updated the tune to sustain attention from sports fans entranced by food and an onslaught of stargazing enticements from rappers Cardi B., Missy Elliott, DJ Khalid, actress Taraji P Henson and Tracee Ellis Ross, comedian Chris Rock, model Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, Grammy-winning, country talent Lil Nas X., MC Hammer, actor Bill Murray, The Rock, reporter Katie Couric, Winona Ryder and even Jamaica’s Olympic champion Usain Bolt who along with John Cena and Jimmy Fallon sold Michelob beer.
Placed indiscriminately (or not) throughout the football championship game commercials sold everything from hummus to hum vees, insurance, soft drinks, potato chips, the biggest spring and summer movie attractions (James Bond’s No Time To Die: Disney’s Mulan, Universal Pictures Fast 9 flick) and the president promised Americans that if re-elected he would ensure that “the best is yet to come.”
Heightened anticipation of the much hyped halftime spectacle choreographed from Miami, Florida, that featured Lopez, Shakira and guest dancers and singers might have also convinced decision makers from the island to join the big league.
Kansas City Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years beating the 49ers 31-20.
And the once in 900 years Palindrome occurrence of a symmetrical date reading the same backward and forward on 02-02-2020 may have signaled that Jamaica scored a touchdown. (sic)
Catch You On The Inside!
