Millions of people laughed as they watched the boy in the swimming pool, realizing his desperate need to go to the bathroom,and his urgent race to find a place to relieve himself. That comic commercial was one of dozens -- and one of the 11 favorites -- of the 2012 Super Bowl Commercials.

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What many Iowans probably do not realize that the commercial was made by a Cedar Rapids company, J.W. Morton & Associates, for another Iowa-based company, TaxACT.

David Morton was the creative director of the project. An alumni of Independence High School, Morton led the effort to create the ad, aided by several members of the J.W. Morton team. The specific idea for the commercial came from one of his daughters, who attends Iowa State. See that story Here. ISU Daily Photo Editor Kelsey Kremer, a VSHS graduate, worked with the college paper's staff on the photo that accompanies the story.

Like any commercial, this one has both admirers and those who were not so impressed, said Morton.

"The reviews have kind of been all over the place, from love to hate," he said. "I am glad the real people are linkin' it."
"Linkin' it refers to the fact that many people (as we did in this story) have shared the J.W. Morton link with friends and family members.  
Both versions of the commercial (the extended cut, and the shorter version aired during the Super Bowl) can be seen at the JW Morton Web Site. 

The complete press release from J.W. Morton is below.

 

Super Bowl Spot by Local Ad Agency Ranked No. 11 by
USA Today Ad Meter Viewer Panel

 

CEDAR RAPIDS— It isn’t every day that the creative work of J.W. Morton & Associates is seen by 111 million people. But that’s what happened during Super Bowl Sunday, when the TV ad the agency created and produced for TaxACT, aired during the second quarter of the Super Bowl. This is the first Super Bowl commercial for both Cedar Rapids companies.

The 30-second commercial promotes the free federal edition of TaxACT, a leader in online income tax preparation. According to David Morton, president of marketing services for J.W. Morton & Associates, the ad tells a simple, humorous story of a little boy who has an urgent problem, tries to do the right thing and ends up feeling totally free. TaxACT is the only totally free online federal return.

“The Super Bowl has become an advertising showcase as much as it’s a football game,” says Morton. “There’s an underlying commitment to provide some entertainment value in order for an advertiser to be viewed as credible.”

The 30-second spot is No. 11 on the USA Today Ad Meter Viewer Panel, an annual ranking by volunteers that react to each commercial as it is viewed during the Super Bowl and immediately give it a rating. A Top 10 ranking on the Ad Meter is a coveted position. Last year Volkswagen’s Super Bowl ad featured a boy dressed as Darth Vader to tout its redesigned Passat sedan. The TV ad ranked No. 3 on the Ad Meter. Volkswagen had more sales in its first two months of the sedan’s introduction than its previous Passat model sold in all of 2010.

“It’s proven that a well-done Super Bowl ad can impact sales,” says Morton. “We are very pleased with ranking No. 11, considering this is TaxACT’s first time as a Super Bowl advertiser.  There are a lot of big names in the top ten. We did a good job of holding our own.”

The Nielsen Company will also release ratings of the Super Bowl ads as well. Morton looks forward to seeing those results. “I think the Nielsen numbers are a fairly true reflection of how most Americans feel about an ad,” he says. “Which is also a good indicator of whether America will buy a product.”

J.W. Morton and Associates is a full-service Cedar Rapids advertising agency founded in 1984. Agency services cover the gamut, from public relations to TV advertising to branding and all points in between. Their roster of clients represents a diverse range of industries including software and technology, healthcare, food service, agriculture and banking, to name a few. Learn more about the agency at jwmorton.com.

TaxACT is critically acclaimed as a leader of affordable digital and download tax preparation software for consumers, business owners and tax professionals. In the 2005 tax season, TaxACT became the first to offer free federal tax software and free e-file to all U.S. taxpayers. TaxACT has been the 2nd most visited online destination for tax preparation services for the past six consecutive years(1). Since 2000, TaxACT Online has assisted with more than 20 million e-filed federal returns. TaxACT is a business of InfoSpace, Inc. INSP +0.57% . Learn more about TaxACT at www.taxact.com and www.taxact.com/press .

(1) According to collective week end reports for taxact.com and taxactonline.com released by Hitwise(TM) during the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 tax seasons.

Iowans who participated in the project include:

 

TAXACT

Kristin Peterson                    Vice President of Marketing

Cammie Greif                         Chief Marketing Officer – CFO

J.W. Morton

David Morton                        President, Creative Director

Kim Ketelsen                          Writer, Producer

Marcus Rhatigan                   Writer, Producer

Kevin Northway                    Senior Art Director

Connie Collins                        Senior Art Director