During Super Bowl LIX, the U.S. Secret Service unveiled a new recruitment advertisement that included images from the July 2024 assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, as well as footage of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Directed by Michael Bay, known for blockbuster movies, the advertisement reportedly cost the Secret Service $2 million.
The minute-long ad debuted on the jumbotron inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans just before the Super Bowl game. The video opens with the narrator stating, “America was founded on an idea of freedom. America has always stepped forward in time of need throughout our short but powerful history. We’ve been there for all of it”.
“A History of Protection”
The advertisement, titled “A History of Protection,” also features images of President Abraham Lincoln, footage of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, and a Secret Service official informing President George W. Bush of the 9/11 attacks. The Secret Service also posted the ad on X, stating, “If you weren’t able to attend tonight’s big game, you missed a jumbotron highlight! For 160 years, our agency has been a witness to history; and since 1901 we’ve protected the most important people and events”.
According to Fox News, the minute-long ad, produced by Michael Bay, will only be played by the NFL inside the stadium, which has a capacity of 83,000.
Recruitment drive
The Secret Service launched this initiative to manage staff burnout and retention issues and boost morale within their organization. The ad targets fresh Secret Service personnel recruitment while addressing existing staffing issues involving the morale and burnout of current officers.
Sean Curran, Trump’s pick to serve as director of the U.S. Secret Service and head of his personal Secret Service security detail, said that he “empowered the team to identify a novel and expedient approach that leveraged one of the most recognizable directors to represent the men and women behind the Secret Service within nine days while ensuring compliance with requisite rules”.
President Trump became the first sitting president to attend the event. The Secret Service had staff on the ground for days preparing for his visit.
