Long before Patrick Mahomes won his first Super Bowl (he now has three Super Bowl rings), he was distinguishing himself for his Texas-based character and ethics.
When remembering him from leading his Kansas City Chiefs to last night’s overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers, please consider there is an off-the-field persona that should impress us.
Among his endorsements are such mega-brands as Oakley sunglasses, State Farm Insurance, Hunts Ketchup, and Head & Shoulders shampoo.
But an endorsement NOT on that list is the one that defines him.
When the dynamic quarterback decided to leave Texas Tech, hire an agent and enter the 2017 NFL draft, Lubbock car dealer McGavock Nissan made Mahomes an offer he could not refuse at the moment.
In exchange for starring in TV commercials, the dealership gave Patrick $500/month plus the use of two cars – one for him and one for his mother – for five years. For each of the five years, both Patrick and his mother would trade in the prior year’s model for a new ride.
It was a handshake deal with no written agreement.
As the late radio legend Paul Harvey would have said, “And now, here’s the REST of the story!”
After negotiating a lucrative endorsement deal with State Farm Insurance, Patrick’s agent approached him to negotiate a car endorsement. He could demand massive amounts from a national manufacturer or at least a large automotive group in Kansas City.
“I don’t need to,” Patrick told his agent. “I already have a car deal. I get $500 a month plus the use of two free cars – one for my mom and one for me.”
When the agent learned of the handshake deal, he told Patrick that he could easily break the deal – to which the future superstar replied: “You don’t understand. I shook hands on it!”
Here in Texas, our handshake is our word. It’s the way of the old west. And for many of us, it’s the way of the “new” west, too. Mahomes grew up in tiny Whitehouse in East Texas, and he learned personal integrity from his parents. I’ve never met him, though I hope the day comes when I will.
This bit of information should help inspire each of us to be the kind of person who honors our word. As Texans, our handshake should define who we are and create a Super Bowl-worthy bond of trust and respect.
Speaking of the big game and TV commercials, I’ve compiled a list of Super Bowl ads that stood out to me. Please realize that personal taste is quite subjective, so your favorites may not be the same as mine. I thoroughly enjoyed almost 40 of the commercials, for either entertainment value or impact.
In the interest of brevity, here are My Delightful Dozen:
- State Farm Insurance: The brand reunites Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, who starred in the 1988 movie “Twins” and pokes fun at Arnold playing the role of Agent State Farm, who cannot correctly pronounce the word “neighbor.” Hilarious! This ad won the “Ad Meter” competition on USA Today.
- Dunkin’: This hilarious ad showcased Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, and Matt Damon creating a dance routine to impress J.Lo in Ben’s attempt to become a pop music star in a new music group, the DunKings.
- Verizon: Beyonce commits to “breaking the internet” with a series of hijinks such as playing a sexy saxophone tune, creating Beyonce AI, becoming Barbay, and flying into space, but none break the Verizon internet.
- Kia: Walt Disney once said that “Emotions trump everything” and this vignette of how a father sees his daughter compete in an ice-skating competition but the empty seat next to him had been for his father (her grandfather), who could not attend. He drives her out into the country that night and sets up lights and sound – powered by the Kia EV9, of course – so her grandfather can see her skate on the ice of the pond by his home. The title, appropriately, is “A Perfect 10”.
- Budweiser Clydesdales: When roads are closed due to blinding snow, Budweiser enlists the team of Clydesdales to deliver kegs of beer in an “old school delivery”. The Labrador Retriever helps guide the team to the local bar and then leans up to rub noses with one of the Clydesdales in the closing scene.
- Bud Light Genie: The genie grants wishes to Bud Light drinkers including one who wants to be best friends with Peyton Manning – who magically appears. All to the Steppenwolf classic rock track, “Magic Carpet Ride.”
- Volkswagen: It’s “American Love Story” takes us back to moments of VW history – mostly the Beetle, all to the tune of Neil Diamond’s “I Am, I Said.”
- Uber Eats: Jennifer Anniston, David Schwimmer, David and Victoria Beckham, and Jelly Roll each have to forget something to get something new (Jennifer has forgotten who former “Friends” co-star Schwimmer is) in this “Worth Remembering” ad.
- Frito-Lay: NFL stars Marshawn Lynch, Rob “The Gronk” Gronkowski, and Troy Polamalu celebrate Frito-Lay chips that explode with confetti when the bags are opened.
- Doritos: Jenny Ortega and Danny Ramirez starred but were upstaged by two elderly women – Dina and Myte – in a classic Dorito’s heist caper.
- PlutoTV: Introduces a massive crop of couch potatoes growing in the fields, each of which has its own Pluto TV so they can watch whatever they want.
- BMW: Christopher Walken does a lot of “walkin’ “ and driving around and everyone he encounters imitates his talking style before he is seated. In the restaurant, he sees Usher, who then makes a dramatic exit to perform at halftime.
I was also impressed with how each of these ads delivered a powerful message about current societal issues:
- Dove: Addresses how young girls endure “hard knocks” in their quest to compete in sports.
- He Gets Us: The “Feet Washing” message shows people following Jesus’ challenge to wash the feet of others and be a servant. The closing message: Jesus didn’t preach hate. He washed feet.” The organization also created the “Who is My Neighbor” message.
- Hallow: Mark Wahlberg’s “Stay Prayed Up” message featured a prayer leading up to the start of Lent.
The most controversial ad was the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., campaign message that superimposed his photo over the ad that was used for his late uncle, President John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential campaign.
Not only was this the only political ad in the broadcast, but it also caught the entire Kennedy family by surprise. Nobody with the campaign or American Values Super PAC had apparently sought prior approval from any Kennedy family members.
John Fletcher is CEO/Founder of Fletcher Consulting Public Relations in Arlington, where he emphasizes the value of developing strong personal and business relationships. Contact him at john@thefletch.org
