This year’s Super Bowl was one of the most exciting of all time, with the New England Patriots orchestrating the biggest comeback in the game’s history to give quarterback Tom Brady an historic 5th Super Bowl ring.
While the on-field performance of both the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots has been the topic of conversation, one commercial has also garnered much debate among the public. A company named 84 Lumber, which is a building materials supply company, ran a confusing ad featuring a mother and daughter making their way across Mexico, trying to cross into the United States.
The ad not only featured a border wall, but also featured a door within the wall, causing many – including this publication – to believe the company was advocating for illegal immigration in the wake of President Trump’s pledge to secure our border.
Now, the CEO of 84 Lumber has come forward to comment on the controversy surrounding the ad, and her statements seem very strange. First, in an interview with People magazine, CEO Maggie Hardy Magerko said she supports President Trump’s border wall and allegedly didn’t intend to take a political position with the Super Bowl ad.
From USA Today:
She acknowledged that the commercial’s message’s were “in the eyes of the beholder,” reflecting the broad range of reactions to the ad, including praise and criticism from immigration proponents and wall supporters alike.
“We need to keep America safe,” Magerko told People. “America needs to be safe so you and I can have the liberty to talk… The wall, I think it represents, to me, security. I like security.”
She added: “This came from the heart and I didn’t do it for personal gain. It’s not about me or my beliefs or the wall, it’s about individuals… treating people with dignity and respect.”
Magerko said Sunday in a statement that she backed Trump’s proposed “big, beautiful door in the wall so that people can come into this country legally.”
Bizarre! The commercial clearly had political undertones – with most viewers seeing it as pro-immigration. If the CEO is telling the truth, then all we can say is, they made an incredibly confusing commercial that didn’t get its message across… to anyone.
Here is the controversial ad, which included portions that aired online after the Super Bowl featuring images of the border wall, with a door:
What to make of it?
Do you believe the CEO of 84 Lumber’s assertion that she supports President Trump’s border wall or is this an attempt to protect her company from future criticism? Share your thoughts below!