Ecuador Super Bowl Ad: Historic $3.8 Million Spot Features A Foreign Country For First Time

Ecuador is making history with a 30-second, $3.8 million ad that will debut during the Super Bowl this coming Sunday.

This is the first time a foreign nation has purchased one of the highly-coveted spots, which reaches millions of viewers in the U.S. and around the world. Super Bowl XLVIII attracted more than 115 million viewers in 2014, which is the current record, as reported by Deadline at the time.

The unusual move is aimed at bringing more tourists to Ecuador, which rates second in number of visitors from the United States. Colombia ranks as the U.S.’s top destination in South America.

According to Ad Week, Ecuador has purchased a regional ad for Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots (and their deflated balls) and the Seattle Seahawks.

“Ecuador is spending an estimated $3.8 million on its 30-second regional Super Bowl ad push, seeking to drive North Americans to the South American country. It also reportedly marks the first time a foreign country has used the Big Game to boost tourism. The spot will run in several major markets, including New York, Miami, and San Francisco.”

The historic Super Bowl ad shows the beautiful sights a visitor to Ecuador can find, whether it’s in the mountains, plains, jungle, beaches, or its famed Galápagos Islands, home to unique flora and fauna. Ecuador is showcased via these images to a tune many know very well.

The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” was chosen by the tourism office to be the song that accompanied the breathtaking sights. This particular tune was chosen because the title of the campaign — which, according to the government, has brought a 14 percent increase in visitors — is “All You Need is Ecuador.”

“We have been sort of shy the last 10 years about promoting our country, which I think is beautiful and unique,” Ecuador Ambassador to the U.S. Nathalie Cely told Yahoo! Travel. “We wanted to do something big in this market, and we thought that having the opportunity to have Ecuador at halftime in the Super Bowl will give us the kind of exposure to get more Americans interested.”

The Super Bowl ad will focus on the best Ecuador has to offer in its capital, Quito, and colonial jewel Cuenca — both of which were declared UNESCO World Heritage sites — as well as the rainforests. The small country is home to 15.7 million people.

Take a look at Ecuador’s historic Super Bowl ad.

[Image via Shutterstock]