Good, Clean Entertainment

The World Wrestling Federation hopes fans of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Mankind and the Undertaker watch the Super Bowl–at least after halftime.
Unusually, the WWF, which airs Sunday Night Heat on the USA Network, will count down the seconds to the third quarter of the big game during its Halftime Heat special. Viewers who switch back to Fox will see the WWF’s new ad.
In the spot (shown here), wrestling stars give a tour of the Stamford, Conn., offices of WWF parent Titan Sports.
As the athletes describe wrestling as a “wholesome form of entertainment,” execs hit each other with chairs and trash conference rooms. A couple makes out as a buxom woman purrs, “We never use sex to enhance our image.” In the final shot, a man flies out of a window as Titan chairman Vince McMahon says, “WWF attitude. Get it?”
“For people who ‘get it,’ there’s a lot to enjoy [in wrestling], not the least of which is the irony,” said Jim Byrne, senior vice president, marketing at Titan. “We’re as much about entertainment as NYPD Blue, [Beverly Hills] 90210 or Lethal Weapon.”
–Emily Fromm