Tim Tebow ad during Super Bowl – why all the controversy

The ad trade publications have been abuzz the past few weeks with news about the Tim Tebow (superstar University of Florida football player AND Heisman Trophy winner) pro-life ad scheduled to run during the Super Bowl extravaganza this Sunday. As almost everyone in the U.S. knows, the Super Bowl is perhaps the biggest (and most expensive) ad exposure event each year. People gather to watch the game, but advertising and creative people gather to watch the advertising. This has been been happening since 1984 with the launch of the first Apple television spot during the Super Bowl.

Tim Tebow and his mother are featured in an ad sponsored by the pro-life group Focus on the Family. According to Nielsen, this ad is garnering more pre-event “buzz” than any other Super Bowl advertiser. In fact, we're not hearing much else early speculation or previews about the other creative commercials that are scheduled (other than the banned gay dating site ManCrunch spot).

Yesterday, I received an email from Emily’s List encouraging people to sign a petition to CBS banning the commercial.

While I may not agree with Tim and his mother’s views on abortion or on the beliefs and mission of Focus on the Family, I do agree that they have a right to be heard. Clearly, banning the commercial from the Super Bowl because it’s an issues ad borders on censorship…something I am opposed to. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this very sensitive, and often all too-political subject. Mrs. Tebow has a right to believe the way she does and her child Tim is living proof that she made the made the right decision for her.

I don’t agree with the philosophies that Focus on the Family espouses, but I DO agree with their right to spend money to buy the time to air their views. We cannot get into the habit of censoring views we don’t like in this country…goodness knows we are already horribly intolerant of people unlike ourselves with views different from our own. It’s time we engage in civil discourse in this country.

Social Issues Lead Super Bowl Advertising Online Buzz | Nielsen Wire