The Slatest

Bizarre Ad for Colonial Williamsburg Shows 9/11 in Reverse, Civil Rights Marching Backward

Super Bowl 50’s most perplexing ad wasn’t seen nationwide. The spot, which aired only in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., showed footage of various historical events playing in reverse as Tom Brokaw asked, “Where did our fight come from?” The answer: “It started here,” with here being Colonial Williamsburg.

Among the historical events that played backwards was 9/11, with the ad showing smoke being sucked back into the burning World Trade Center towers. There were also archival images of President Obama, civil rights protests, and suffragette marches. Played in reverse, this reel gave the impression that Colonial Williamsburg wants to move back the clock on equality struggles. Come to our lovely village, where you don’t have to worry about all that awful social progress!