Serena Williams Is The GOAT In This Super Bowl Ad Stacked With Star Athletes
Was not prepared for a Steve Buscemi cameo.
The Super Bowl is always an A-list affair, but with three star-studded spots running on game day, Michelob takes the cake. Not only is the ad trilogy packed with star athletes and more famous faces, but Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl 2022 commercials include a major Serena Williams cameo, too. Here’s what you need to know about the beer giant’s series of spots ahead of the big game on Sunday, Feb. 13.
All three ads, which the brand says embody its motto, “It's Only Worth It If You Enjoy It,” dropped on Feb. 8, and take place at a bowling alley called Superior Bowl. Electric Light Orchestra’s 1973 hit “Showdown” is the song that gets it all goin’ in the first Michelob Ultra Super Bowl 2022 commercial — and from the first note, you know the competition will be fierce.
Spraying down the shoes, a dutiful employee prepares the bowling hall for what is sure to be an intense round of bowling. That employee? Oh, it’s just Golden Globe-winner Steve Buscemi. And if that’s not exciting enough, he passes a pair of shoes and a Michelob Ultra to NFL legend and two-time Super Bowl champ Peyton Manning. He grabs the goods from Buscemi and saunters over to his lane, where he pulls up next to Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, soccer icon Alex Morgan, and passes pro-golfer Brooks Koepka at the pool table.
In a series of intimidating glares (including Morgan’s infamous “and that’s the tea” sipping gesture), it’s clear everyone brought their A-game. But the competition gets completely turned on its head when a last-minute addition bursts through the door, and it’s none other than the GOAT herself, Serena Williams.
Williams dons a purple jumpsuit with her name embroidered in cursive and a gold “Serena” necklace to match, and the other athletes look her way in awe, with Manning giving off a dubious stare. Buscemi whispers to himself, “Game time.”
While Michelob referenced Manning as the GOAT in a tweet about the ad, it seems the 23-time Grand Slam champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist is the one really running the show in the commercial. If you’re keeping count, that’s six all-star athletes in the spot, including three very badass women. Seriously, where is this bowling alley?
The brand’s ad comes six months after Michelob Ultra committed $100 million dollars to help support gender equality in sports. Its August 2021 commitment set a goal for 50% of Michelob’s lifestyle media to promote female athletes and women’s sports by 2025. From the looks of the brand’s Super Bowl commercial, there are plenty of elite athletes in women’s sports to help them get there.
Making sure to give a nod to a couple other sips, in Michelob’s second spot, Brooks Koepka orders a Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer. Music superstar Becky G stars in the third commercial, showing up at the Superior Bowl to sip a Michelob Ultra Pure Gold.
When you tune in to the 2022 Super Bowl to see the star-studded spots on Sunday, Feb. 13, you’ll also have a chance to score Superior Bowl merch, which will drop after the game, according to a Michelob Ultra spokesperson. To get notifications when the limited-edition bomber jacket, socks, tees, and bowling shirts go on sale, enter your information on the Michelob Ultra website. Oh, and if you call the number on the T-shirt, you’ll score yourself a “Michelob Ultra based discount,” per the spokesperson.
The collection is first come, first served, so you’ll want to act fast when they drop. You don’t want to miss out on a chance to twin in a bomber jacket with Serena Williams.
