Four Seasons Total Landscaping was thrust into the national spotlight when reports emerged last November of the Philly-based landscaping company serving as the backdrop of an “emergency” press conference held by former President Donald Trump’s legal team. The company found itself in the punchline of many election jokes on social media following the hastily arranged press conference and even received a slew of negative Yelp reviews, which were removed due to violation of the platform’s Terms of Service. But, the small landscaping business quickly turned its unexpected spotlight into ingenious, playful advertising opportunities, most recently with owner Marie Siravo featured in a Super Bowl LV commercial ad by Fiverr.
Here are the D+P Hot Takes on the Super Bowl commercial featuring Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
We’ve all said or at least heard the saying, “It wasn’t funny at the time.” Four Seasons Total Landscaping was in the hot seat immediately following the Trump press conference in November. And now, with the help of a massive advertising opportunity, the company was able to wittingly make fun of itself while having a national audience laugh with them, not at them. Even better, new business is on the horizon.
Mylin Batipps Jr.
Owner Marie Siravo said it best: “We’re just ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary situation.” When the floodgates opened on Four Seasons Total Landscaping in November, the company retreated momentarily, took stock to determine its next move, and very quickly employed a dose of humor in its messaging to help navigate what could be described as an accidental moment in the nation’s crosshairs. That voice was appreciated and made way for another once-in-a-lifetime moment, appearing in a coveted Super Bowl ad. Making smart decisions about messaging in a moment of crisis or white-hot scrutiny is critical. Had Four Seasons Total Landscaping come out swinging on Nov. 7 in their own defense (they didn’t), they would likely have roiled more people and extended the bitter dialogue. Had they buried their head in the sand (or soil lol) hoping the controversy would pass, they would have missed their opportunity. Instead, they played it just right.
Christine Reimert
Humor is an incredibly powerful tool that connects us back to humanity, especially when everything feels out of control. Twitter, the social media king of memes and comedic relief, did not disappoint when the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference aired in November. Four Seasons immediately embraced the humor of the situation by creating social media channels to retweet and post trending memes as well as sell their own satirical merchandise. Their light-hearted approach to engaging with the crisis not only provided them with the opportunity to “rake” in new business and positive recognition, but it gave us all a good laugh right when we needed it most. Or, right when the world needed it most, at Super Bowl LV, to be exact!
Emma McClain
