PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
84 Lumber Releases the Rejected Ending to Super Bowl Commercial at Journey84.com
The original ending, including the wall originally rejected by FOX, is made available online
PITTSBURGH (February 5, 2017) – “Too controversial to air during the Super Bowl.” That’s what 84 Lumber was told when they tried to show a border wall in their first-ever Super Bowl commercial. But rather than changing their message, the nation’s leading privately owned building materials company decided to tell the full story as it was intended, online at Journey84.com. And that full film went live today, wall and all.
The themes of hard work, dedication and sacrifice found throughout the film are the same ideals valued in 84 Lumber employees. 84 Lumber is a 60 year-old, family-owned American company that doesn’t just have jobs, but careers – with training and opportunities for advancement.
The controversial ending to the film features a door in a border wall that ultimately allows the story’s protagonists to complete their journey. This door is a symbol of the doors that 84 Lumber opens for its employees, regardless of their race, ethnicity, background, or orientation.
“Even President Trump has said there should be a ‘big beautiful door in the wall so that people can come into this country legally,’” said 84 Lumber president and owner, Maggie Hardy Magerko. “It’s not about the wall. It’s about the door in the wall. If people are willing to work hard and make this country better, that door should be open to them.”
The film, created by 84 Lumber’s agency partner, Brunner, was created to position 84 Lumber as a company of opportunity for the next generation of the housing industry.
“This is a spot and a campaign that demands attention, serious reflection, spirited dialogue, and most importantly, tells the world who 84 Lumber is,” explains Brunner’s chief creative officer, Rob Schapiro. “With a platform like this, we had a responsibility to do more than create a commercial, but to create something meaningful that would get people talking about the housing industry in a positive way. And ignoring the conversation that’s taking place in the media and at every kitchen table in America just didn’t seem right.”
84 Lumber’s commercial kicks off a year where the company will continue expanding across the country, open 20 new stores, hire hundreds of new employees at all levels, and continue to grow across all its business lines.
Interested in joining 84 Lumber? Find out if you’re 84 Lumber Material by visiting http://journey84.com for career opportunities near you.
About 84 Lumber
Founded in 1956, 84 Lumber Company is the nation’s leading privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components, and industry-leading services for single- and multi-family residences and commercial buildings. 84 Lumber operates more than 250 stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, custom millwork shops, and engineered wood product (EWP) centers in 30 states, representing the top 130 markets in the country. 84 Lumber also offers professional residential and commercial contractors turn-key installed services for a variety of products including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking, and drywall. A certified women’s business enterprise owned by Maggie Hardy Magerko, 84 Lumber was named as one of Forbes’ Best Midsize Employers in America 2016 and Forbes’ Largest Private Companies in America 2016. For more information, please visit www.84lumber.com.