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Mark Gross of Highdive on His Fave Super Bowl Spots
And what the Big Game teaches marketers
Mark is co-CCO of Highdive. Prior to co-founding the company, he served at DDB Chicago on Bud Light, Mars Wrigley, Barilla, Capital One and others. His most notable work includes Bud Light’s “Real Men of Genius,” among the most iconic radio campaigns in history.
We spent two minutes with Mark to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.
Mark, tell us …
Where you grew up, and where you live now.
I was born in Jersey City and grew up in Springfield, N.J. In 1994, I followed my wife Pam to Chicago, and I’ve been here ever since.
How you first realized you were creative.
I was able to draw very well at a young age. In my 4th-grade art class, I created an ink painting of a rooster that my mom framed, and she still has it hanging on her wall. I was a less talented, less Spanish version of Picasso.
A person you idolized creatively early on.
From a very early age, I greatly admired Dr. Seuss. He was a legendary storyteller and illustrator. While it might sound cliché, I also loved Picasso for his versatility. And I’ve always been drawn to funny, creative celebrities like Steve Martin, Curly Howard, Gene Wilder and Conan O’Brien.
Talk a bit about how you got into the ad biz.
One fateful day during English class, our teacher showed us a Clio Awards reel. I was immediately hooked on advertising. After building my portfolio, I got accepted to Syracuse University’s School of Visual and Performing Arts. While there, I landed a summer internship at Chiat/Day, and after graduating, I returned for a full-time junior art director position. In 1994, I moved to Chicago, got a job at DDB, and eventually worked my way up to executive creative director.
Can you recall some favorite Super Bowl ads from your youth?
Bud Bowl was one of the greatest Super Bowl promotions of all time. Pre-social media, everyone was talking about Bud Bowl before and after the game. Most importantly, it sold a tremendous amount of beer for Anheuser-Busch.
Talk about two or three of Highdive’s recent Super Bowl efforts.
Last year, we had two comedy spots during the game. Our State Farm ad featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger was voted No. 1 on the USA Today Ad Meter. It was our fourth first-place finish!
We also helped BetMGM launch their very first Super Bowl ad featuring Tom Brady, Vince Vaughn and Wayne Gretzky. After that campaign, BetMGM saw a 72 percent increase in new customers and 30 percent increase in Big Game bets.
How many ads will Highdive have on the Super Bowl this year?
I can’t provide specifics yet. Some last-minute client decisions are still coming in. But we did just launch the trailer for MSC Cruises’ first Super Bowl spot.
Super Bowl campaigns have evolved. CeraVe and FanDuel are prime examples. What lessons does the Big Game teach in terms of creating “events” vs. just running ads?
The media landscape is more fractured than ever, so great content has become much more than just an in-game ad. Consumers want to engage with compelling brand content before, during and after the Super Bowl. For example, last year State Farm treated their spot like a movie press circuit. We started with a paparazzi moment: Arnold and Jake working out together. This was followed by a blockbuster trailer that aired on channels across the country, accompanied by a poster and an official IMDB page. Whether you caught the commercial during the game or not, the campaign created a cultural moment.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in advertising?
I’d run a dog daycare. Or, I’d probably own a small coffee shop serving breakfast and killer sandwiches for lunch.
(Which brand will take home the 2025 Super Clio for the best Big Game commercial? We’ll find out on Feb. 10.)
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
