Steven Buscemi and Peyton Manning have stirred up a hefty dose of Super Bowl commercial buzz this past week, with the two starring in teasers for AB InBev brand Michelob ULTRA.
The brand has been a staple in the Super Bowl ad space and the USA TODAY Ad Meter ratings the past few years, enjoying an 11th-place finish in 2020 (“Jimmy Works Out” ) and cracking the top 25 with the inspirational spot “Happy” in 2021.
While the full commercial for 2022 is still under wraps, it certainly seems as though the production team has rolled a perfect teaser campaign.
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Each of the three spots quickly launches a full nostalgic assault, opening on a neon bowling sign with the Electric Light Orchestra’s “Showdown” raising in volume. That’s about two seconds of the 15-second teasers, plenty of time to think back to the famous bowling duels in the film “Kingpin.”
From there, we’re inside “Superior Bowl”…
We’re greeted with the standard flare of bowling alleys—a cue-ball break on the pool table, the slo-mo setting of pins, bowling balls, those classic shoes.
Then, Peyton Manning…
…followed by a comforting and familiar gaze from Steve Buscemi, who adds another layer to the surprise—is that Donny Kerabatsos… from “The Big Lebowski”?
What happens next?
When considering the twist and turns in the Super Bowl commercial world, you’d stand a better chance of picking up a 7-10 split than you would answering that question. However, the beer brand did hint via press release that fans should expect more than just two bowlers, revealing “the spot will feature legendary athletes and entertainers… a total of 7 celebrities will make an appearance in the ad.”