Daniel Defense, one of the nation’s leading manufacturers and retailers in the firearms industry, was willing to pay top dollar for a commercial in the 2014 NFL Super Bowl. But FOX rejected the commercial, which is an innocuous video about home defense and fundamental rights, “due to the rules the NFL itself has set into place for [Daniel Defense’s] category.”
Guns & Ammo has the details:
The NFL’s Advertising Policy addresses several Prohibited Advertising Categories, including guidelines for ads featuring alcohol, video games, movies, prescription drugs, and, of course, firearms.
The firearms portion of the NFL’s Prohibited Advertising Categories states:
“5. Firearms, ammunition or other weapons are prohibited; however, stores that sell firearms and ammunitions (e.g., outdoor stores and camping stores) will be permitted, provided they sell other products and the ads do not mention firearms, ammunition or other weapons.”
According to these guidelines, Daniel Defense’s Super Bowl commercial does not violate NFL policy for two reasons:
·Daniel Defense has a brick-and-mortar store, where they sell products other than firearms such as apparel.
·The commercial itself does not mention firearms, ammunition or weaponry.
It's important to emphasize that last point--firearms are not mentioned at all during the video. There’s only a logo of the company’s DDM4 rifle shown at the end, which Daniel Defense immediately offered to replace with “an American flag and/or the words “Shall not be infringed,” when the NFL first rejected it, according to Guns & Ammo.
That offer, however, was also denied.
Interestingly enough, the NFL’s decision to deny the ad comes after Daniel Defense ran a commercial in local Georgia markets during the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI on NBC, with no objection from the NFL. That particular commercial pictured the manufacture of firearms and concluded with a clip of Larry Vickers shooting a rifle.
Meanwhile, ads featuring violent movies and video games continue to appear regularly during NFL broadcasts.
Check out the short video and see what you think: