Super Bowl Scientology Ad: Fans Can't Believe Commercial That Ran During Big Game

Allison Schonter

02/08/2021 12:05 pm EST

As the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers battled it out on the field for the Lombardi Trophy Sunday night, social media was left in shock by the Church of Scientology's Super Bowl 2021 ad, titled "Be More." Amid the "Edward Scissorhands" for Cadillac commercial leading way as a fan-favorite for the night, a 30-second Scientology ad squeezed its way in.

The full ad spans a total of two minutes and can be viewed below, with the Super Bowl commercial running around the 30-second mark. In the ad, a narrator can be heard stating, "In the wake of the unimaginable. In the shadow of uncertainty. In the face of fear," as scenes from the past year play out on screen, including workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic and the stock market crash. The narrator goes on to say, "It's time. To rediscover. Your hope. Your purpose. Your passion. Your potential. You. Because no matter what we may face. Nothing is stronger than the human spirit."

The ad immediately sparked discussion on social media, with many expressing their surprise at seeing a Church of Scientology ad. Many Super Bowl viewers said the ad stayed with them long after the game came to an end. Keep scrolling to see what people had to say about the "Be More" ad spot.

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While the commercial certainly shocked many, this was not the first time the Church of Scientology has bought a Super Bowl ad spot. Their first Super Bowl commercial aired back in 2013 when the church bought commercial time in local markets, according to The New York Times.

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That commercial called on "the curious, the inquisitive, the seekers of knowledge." In the ad, a narrator said, "some will doubt you. Let them. Dare to think for yourself, to look for yourself, to make up your own mind."

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Titled "Knowledge," the ad ran in cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas, though it had initially run on the organization's website in November 2012. That December, according to the Times, the ad was shown 16 times an hour on a digital billboard in Times Square in December.

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Karin Pouw, a spokeswoman for Golden Era Productions, the Church of Scientology International's own studio, said, "we are thrilled with the response to this advertisement and that so many millions of people were able to see our message." The ad came after several well-publicized attacks on the church's credibility, including a Vanity Fair article detailing actress Katie Holmes' life in Scientology during her marriage to Tom Cruise.

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The church has continued to air ads ever since. It's 2014 ad was titled "Scientology Spiritual Technology," 2015's ad was "Age of Answers," 2016's was titled "Who Am I," and 2017's was "Your Full Potential."

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In 2018, the church aired a Super Bowl ad titled "Curious?" In the ad, a phrase is typed into a Google search before a slideshow of clips featuring the church's headquarters and other images. "Curious?" the screen asks. "We thought so."

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The Church of Scientology again aired a Super Bowl ad in 2019, that one titled "Curiosity." The church's 2020 ad was titled "It's Time To Rediscover The Human Soul."

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