Mering Carson

While it’s not one of MeringCarson’s biggest money-makers, almost 1 billion people will see the Sacramento advertising agency’s latest creative work — a 30-second spot that airs Sunday during Super Bowl XLIII.

Heavy on special effects and computer animation, the ad features Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden jogging as he travels through a six-month timeline in about 25 seconds. His clothes change seamlessly as he journeys through the off-season from the NFL Scouting Combine to the college draft and training camp to, in full gear, the first game of the 2009 season.

Created for the NFL Network, the spot illustrates the idea that “football season never ends” on the NFL Network, NFL Mobile Live and NFL.com.

“Get On Your Boots,” the first single from U2’s forthcoming album, No Line On The Horizon, will play during the commercial when it airs during the Super Bowl on NBC.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than doing a spot in the Super Bowl for the NFL,” MeringCarson creative director Greg Carson said.

This year’s Super Bowl marks the first time a 30-second commercial time slot will cost $3 million. MeringCarson declined to disclose what the deal was worth to the company. An NFL representative was not available for comment.

“The team overall is incredibly excited to be involved with the project,” MeringCarson chief executive officer David Mering said.

On these types of spots everyone is most excited at the beginning when filming begins, and when it’s all done, he said. In between, it’s “kind of like watching paint dry” when computer animators go to work.

“In the commercial world every (spot) is a product of a lot of people’s collective visions and efforts when it’s finally done,” Mering said.

While MeringCarson was in charge of creative and artistic direction, Venice-based Motion Theory built the spot using computer special effects. Filming was done at several locations, including a rented sound stage the size of an aircraft hangar at Universal Studios, Carson said.

Similar to most ad agencies, business has slowed this year for MeringCarson. Last year, however, was a “very, very good year for us,” Carson said.

MeringCarson’s gross billings increased from $32 million in 2006 to about $45 million in 2007, and $75 million last year, Mering said.

Revenue is expected to drop a bit this year, but Mering said he does not expect the company to “get hit real hard.” Some other local ad agencies are laying off employees. MeringCarson has no plans for layoffs.

Some of the company’s biggest clients include the California Travel and Tourism Commission, Sutter Health and Disneyland.

In 2008, the company landed two new clients: Paramount Picture Studios Lot and NFL Network. MeringCarson worked on two projects for NFL Network.

The first was a pro bono job for the network’s Keep Gym in School program, which provides grants to build new tracks and refurbish gyms in schools.

The second commercial featured fantasy football team owners who had a tough season — a woman crying in a Cadillac with the team name Romolicious and a guy on a treadmill with the team name One Giant Step — promoting the NFL.com Fantasy Playoff Challenge. The spot featured the song “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter.

“Because they were so happy with the work that we had produced, they invited us to pitch (Super Bowl ideas) against a couple other agencies,” Carson said.

MeringCarson arrived, just before Thanksgiving, armed with a dozen ideas. Carson said most agencies pitch few ideas, but ideas that are more fleshed out on six- to 12-frame story boards.

MeringCarson believes in the “cocktail napkin” concept.