(84 Lumber's Super Bowl TV ad.84 Lumber/YouTube)
84 Lumber just aired its immigration-themed Super Bowl ad, plus the conclusion of the ad's story on its website, which the construction-supply company billed as "too controversial for TV."
The 90-second ad that aired on TV during the Super Bowl depicted a Mexican mother and daughter embarking on an arduous journey to leave their country of origin and find a better life in the US.
The ad then invited viewers to watch the conclusion of the ad online. However, the dedicated website appeared to be down during the game with the rush of people looking to find out how the ad ends.
The full version of the ad is also available to watch here:
84 Lumber said last month the first cut of its ad was rejected by Super Bowl broadcaster Fox for being too political. The ad had featured a "wall" blocking people from looking for work in the US.
The wall appears in the digital version, initially blocking the pair from entering the country, before they travel a bit further along and come across two large doors, finally granting them entry into the US. The ad carries the tagline: "The will to succeed is always welcome here."
Rob Schapiro, chief creative officer of 84 Lumber's ad agency Brunner, told Business Insider the ad intended to make a "patriotic" statement and aimed to make the company a household name throughout the country as it expands and opens more stores in the US.
Schapiro said: "[The message behind the ad] is that in this great land of opportunity, 84 Lumber is a company of opportunity. With this expansion will come an ongoing recruitment campaign, and on this journey we depicted characters who embody the traits and characteristics they are looking for in their people: strong will, determination, and hard-working people."
The 90-second TV ad (no big border wall — and no ending, either):
The choice to depict Mexican characters was deliberate. It is widely-known that US President Donald Trump has taken a hard line on immigration and is seeking to build a US-Mexico border wall.
Schapiro said: "This is a conversation that's taking place in homes across America and so 84 Lumber was willing to be part of that conversation, to be relevant and timely ... in Part Two [of the ad] you will see what a beacon of light America is, not just within America but beyond to other countries. We are that beacon of light for people for finding success from hard work and making a contribution."
84 Lumber is not the only brand covering the theme of immigration during the Super Bowl this year. Budweiser is airing a 60-second ad that follows Anheuser-Busch cofounder Adolphus Busch's difficult journey from Germany to the US in the mid-1800s — including some of the prejudice he encountered before he went on to create what is now the world's largest brewer.