The 2025 NFL season is officially underway, and some fans have already identified a new TV commercial they never want to see again.
Thursday night's game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles was, in many ways, an all-time goofy kickoff game. One of the Eagles' best players was ejected before the first play because he spit on the Cowboys quarterback, and then there was a lengthy lightning-related weather delay in the third quarter, which meant the game ended well after midnight on the East Coast.
However, some fans online were much more annoyed by an official NFL commercial celebrating the new season, which aired once during the game. (You can also watch the ad on the NFL YouTube channel.)
The "Ride the Float" commercial riled up some fans online (and, I can confirm, the people I watched the game with) because major parts of it really looked like they were made with generative AI. There are lots of real celebrity cameos, including Druski and The Rizzler, but there are also huge swaths of the ad that had all the hallmarks of AI videos.
A scene with a singing baby decked out in Raiders gear seemed particularly obvious, but there's also a shot of a CGI lion that really doesn't look right. In general, these parade float scenes had the glossy, uncanny valley look I associate with AI videos.
I can confirm that the ad was made with AI because the NFL put out an official press release on Thursday celebrating that fact. The press release also confirmed that it will be the first of a series of ads that air throughout the season as part of the "You Better Believe It" ad campaign.
“Our fans are at the heart of this campaign – their joy, optimism and belief in what’s possible – and we embraced AI to bring them even closer to the game they love,” NFL chief marketing officer Tim Ellis said in the press release. “By combining technological innovation and human creativity, we had the opportunity to pay tribute to each of our 32 fanbases in one unified fantastical celebration and build a world as limitless and imaginative as they are.”
The ad features numerous parade floats that reference various in-jokes related to each of the league's 32 franchises. It was made in conjunction with a marketing firm called 72andsunny. The firm also worked with the NFL on an ad that aired during last year's playoffs.
As you can imagine, social media did not take especially kindly to the news that the NFL, a massive, money-printing machine, decided to use generative AI in creating a primetime ad.
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Unfortunately for anyone who disliked the commercial, yelling on social media might be all they can do about it. As the press release said, more ads like "Ride the Float" will be airing throughout the NFL season.
