Sissy’s Big Game MVP: Most Valuable Proposal

Stone Ward Director of Photography Dustin Jones filming a wide shot in the Sissy’s Log Cabin commercial the Little Rock marketing agency made for the Super Bowl.

Stone Ward Creative Director Jay Stanley didn’t have to think twice about what his favorite Super Bowl commercial was this year: It was the one he did for Sissy’s Log Cabin, the Arkansas jewelry store chain.

It was a major piece of work for a regained client at Stone Ward, the Little Rock advertising agency, and “quite an adventure” at the west Little Rock home where it was filmed.

The daylong shoot in Pinnacle Valley by Stone Ward’s production company, 360 Filmworks, included a cast of 20, almost as many crew members, a small child and a Great Dane.

It also, of course, had a football theme, with a groom-to-be living out his dream proposal as a well-executed play.

“One of the earliest pieces of advice I received in advertising was to avoid writing spots featuring kids or dogs, because they’re unpredictable,” said Stanley, one of two creative directors at Stone Ward. The other, Danny Koteras, combined his team with Stanley’s for brainstorming on the commercial. “It took a lot of takes, but we ended up with what we wanted, something different and funny, and reflecting the quality of the jewelry,” Stanley said.

Sissy’s Log Cabin, which has stores in Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Conway, Jonesboro and Memphis, has been a Stone Ward client for a total of six years.

“They thought the Super Bowl would be a great showcase, you know, the greatest advertising event in the world, the biggest brands in the world,” Stanley told Arkansas Business.

“Sissy’s spots are always beautiful, because it’s easy to do when you’re working with such gorgeous jewelry, but we wanted to create something that was fun, but also had more of an emotional connection.”

The agency scripted the commercial, used regional talent except for the deep voice of the play-by-play caller, and filmed much of it at 240 frames per second to give it an “ultra slow-motion feel,” he said. The commercial played once during the Super Bowl game in Little Rock, but eight times in both the Jonesboro and Memphis markets. While the ad was created specifically for the Super Bowl, where time for nationwide spots sold for nearly $7 million for 30 seconds, it will run next fall through the 2023 football season.

Of course, placements for local-run ads were a fraction of the national price, but still costly. Stanley wouldn’t comment on the budget for making the 30-second Sissy’s ad.

The action begins with the groom glimpsing his bride-to-be across the way at a patio football party. He takes a handoff of the engagement ring from Sissy’s, hurdles the child riding a toy, then eludes one last defender, the Great Dane.

Sliding down to one knee to pop the question, our hero gets an ecstatic yes and comes back to reality in Sissy’s showroom, hugging CEO Bill Jones. “It happens all the time,” Jones replies, unflappable.

“The twist at the end is fun, and all the people at Sissy’s are just so great to work for, because they love creativity,” Stanley said, adding that he’s glad the commercial won’t be just a Super Bowl one-off. “I would have hated to do it and then have it be seen on the Super Bowl and never again. I’m happy we’re going to be able to use it next year, and have even more people see it.”

It’s a daunting task, making a Super Bowl commercial, Stanley said. “The challenge is making something that can play against the big boys, the major advertisers you see at the Super Bowl.

“But I think we did it,” he said. “And so far reception has been really great. This commercial was a dream of the perfect proposal, and since it’s a guy’s dream, well, it’s a football dream, too.”