Niskayuna resident Nikki Cipolla is a national finalist for the NFL’s Pitch Your Best NFL Super Bowl Ad Idea Ever. Seriously contest. Cipolla is among 12 finalists from across the country who are vying for the chance to have their idea come to life in the form of a commercial, broadcast to millions of homes on Super Bowl Sunday.
Cipolla, 25, (she was born on Super Bowl Sunday) currently works for GE Energy, marketing for the Energy Learning Center, but said she dreams of working for a sports organization doing community relations work.
`I have always wanted to work in sports for teams like the Pacers — I loved Reggie Miller — or for Nike or the NFL or NBA in community relations. This is a huge opportunity for me,` Cipolla said
Her passion for sports and for community work began at a young age. Her father, Sonny Mayer, is in his 16th year as the tennis pro at The Edison Club in Glenville where Cipolla spent her summers playing tennis and teaching lessons.
`I loved the instant gratification that came with teaching kids. I hate sitting at a desk all day,` she said.
Cipolla received a scholarship to play tennis at Siena College, where she broke records. `I’ve had a lot of success in tennis, but at some point I had to abandon the pro dream to have a social life. I fulfilled my goal to play tennis in college, and I left a legacy.`
Cipolla’s tennis career ended upon graduation, and she said she misses the adrenaline rush she used to feel when stepping on the court before a big match.
`You can’t play pick-up tennis,` she said. `When my career is over, it’s over. I want that adrenaline rush and fierce nature. Sports marketing is one place where you can replicate that feeling.`
Her involvement with sports also helped her develop the idea for her pitch. `I wanted it to be emotional, like whether you played sports or not you can feel what it’s like to be in this huge moment,` Cipolla said.
You can hear Cipolla pitch her idea at www.nfl.com/superad/vote/, Cipolla is number 11.
Cipolla learned about the Super Bowl marketing contest while on the NFL’s Web site checking Chicago Bears scores for her husband, Tony. She said she felt the opportunity couldn’t be missed, and she began working on her pitch.
Cipolla who has an MBA from Union College, met with her professor, John Huppertz, who helped her develop the idea.
Huppertz said he was surprised that Cipolla wanted to be involved in the contest.
`I thought it was a long shot. The contest was so ‘American Idol’-like with hundreds of thousands of contestants, but Nikki’s got a lot of confidence, and she knows what she’s doing. She’s got a real feel for this stuff,` he said.
Huppertz said once he heard Cipolla’s idea, he knew she had something.
`Most of the other contestants are relying on humor, Nikki’s idea is different because it’s emotional. She relies on her past experiences, and that’s helped her,` he said.
Huppertz said he believes that humorous ads are hard to execute. `Nikki taps into a genuine emotion that pros, amateurs and wannabes can relate to.`
If she wins the contest, Cipolla will get to travel to Los Angeles for the filming of the ad, then attend the Super Bowl when her commercial will run on television. Cipolla hopes, if nothing else, being a finalist will get her some exposure.
`I am a dedicated, hard worker, and I have a passion for this stuff. It would be amazing for other people to see that in me,` she said.
You can vote for Cipolla on the NFL’s Web site. Online voting through Jan. 7 will determine 30 percent of a contestant’s score.
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