Rocket Companies is not one to shy away from the spotlight. Within the last few years, leadership additions of Varun Krishna, Katie Sweeney and Dan Sogorka to the team and an auspicious rebrand announced at the start of the year have put Rocket in the financial services spotlight.
It makes sense that Rocket is returning to this year’s Super Bowl with an ad described as interactive and emotional by the team behind it. For the last few years, the Detroit-based financial services company has sat on the bench when it comes to advertising during the big game.
“I can’t share the exact cost, but as you can imagine, a Super Bowl commercial — especially one that’s never been done before — is a significant investment. But it’s worth it when you’re cementing Rocket’s place as the ultimate homeownership brand,” Jonathan Mildenhall, the CMO of Rocket, said in an interview with HousingWire. “We worked with the award-winning firm Miramar, Rocket’s creative agency of record, alongside an incredible cross-functional team at Rocket, to bring this vision to life.”
The ad, which aired nationally during the second quarter of the game, was set to a reimagined version of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The ad, centered around Rocket’s “Own The Dream” campaign, captures every day Americans returning to the places that define home, including shots like children playing in backyard sprinklers and veterans reuniting with loved ones.
As the final words, “Everyone deserves their shot at the American Dream. Own the Dream” appeared on-screen, more than 75,000 fans at the big game joined a synchronized singalong, a move that Mildenhall says aligns with Rocket’s community-oriented ethos.
The ad has been a year in the making, Mildenhall shared. “The vision for Rocket was already shifting—we’re not just about mortgages, we’re about homeownership. That’s a big distinction. Once we landed on “Own the Dream,” we knew we had something special.”
“The real magic came when someone in a creative workshop shouted, “What if we get the whole stadium to sing?” That changed everything. It took months to get approval — and, honestly, just two weeks ago we got the green light to do it live,” Mildenhall said. When Fox called and said, “We want to make it happen” — I almost fell out of my chair. It’s that ambitious. It’s never been done before, but that’s exactly why we’re doing it.”
Mildenhall says Rocket’s “goal to unite” was the main reason for their Super Bowl return. “In a nation divided, 92% of Americans believe that homeownership is a fundamental part of the American Dream,” he shared. “I honestly can’t think of anything else that 92% of people in this country agree on. We wanted to return to the Super Bowl with something big that unites us all and creates history.”
He continued, “ The Super Bowl is the ultimate marketing stage. When we looked at what we’re building at Rocket — this mission to help more Americans own homes — we knew we had to go big. Our return to the Super Bowl will go beyond an ad and create a historic cultural moment.”
And why that song specifically? “Music is powerful — it creates an instant emotional connection” Mildenhall reasoned. “There are only two songs in history that, the second you play the chorus, everyone starts singing: ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads.’ We chose ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ because it’s an anthem that resonates with everyone, everywhere. The score had to be one that felt like home.”
In its past ads, Rocket has utilized celebrities like Tracy Morgan and Jason Momoa to advertise itself. That’s a move Mildenhall says was not replicated this year. “I’ve always believed that while celebrities and humor are entertaining, they can create noise. People remember the star but forget the brand,” he explained. “I hope that every American who dreams of owning a home sees themselves in our brand narrative [this year.]”
