Michelob Unveils Full Caddyshack-Inspired Super Bowl Ad With Serena Williams

Serena Williams stepped away from professional tennis in 2022 after a record-setting career. Now, she is taking on a popular pastime among retirees: golf.

But, much like she changed the game of tennis forever, Williams isn’t going to play just any round of golf.

That is the premise behind Michelob Ultra’s latest Super Bowl ad—released in full today—which takes place at Bushwood Country Club, the fictional course from the 1980 sports comedy Caddyshack.

The 60-second spot, “New Members Day,” features Williams as the future face of golf, alongside Emmy-winning actor Brian Cox as a relic of its stodgy past. The brand did not disclose when the ad will air during the game.

Building on last year’s momentum

This follows Michelob’s homage to 1998’s bowling-themed classic, The Big Lebowski, in Super Bowl 56.

“That was the first time we collectively felt we had given Michelob Ultra a vibe, and we were really proud of that,” said Blair Warren, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy. “We were excited to try and keep building on that momentum.”

The starting point for Michelob is always, “Where else do the players play when they’re not playing?” Warren said. That means asking, “Where else do drinking beer and being active live in perfect harmony?”

That, of course, led to golf.

The sport was an obvious choice because Michelob has sponsored the PGA since 1994—and Super Bowl 57 will take place in Phoenix, which is home to nearly 200 golf courses.

“Caddyshack just felt like a no-brainer to us,” Warren added.

An all-star cast

But, much like the plot of the 43-year-old film, golf is undergoing big changes now. As it becomes more inclusive and fun, Ricardo Marques, vp of marketing for Michelob, said, “We want to be part of telling that story.” 

Indeed, Warren noted that Caddyshack, which focuses on “new members coming in and rewriting the rules and turning a very stuffy establishment on its head,” aligns well with Michelob’s point of view about sports and inclusivity.

“Our athletes coming in and giving a nod to that film in a way that infuses a ton of joy felt right to us,” she said.

This second tribute to a comedy classic features an all-star cast, including NBA player Jimmy Butler, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, soccer champion Alex Morgan, boxer Canelo Alvarez and former NFL quarterback Tony Romo.

For the second year, Michelob’s Super Bowl spot features an equal number of male and female athletes‚ which Williams told Adweek was part of the appeal for her.

“I love the message—it’s really about enjoying and fun,” she said. “And also what I really loved about that ad last year was it was really about equality … and I thought that was really amazing.”

‘I have to get angry’

Meanwhile, Cox, who hails from Scotland, said until this year his familiarity with the Super Bowl had been limited to Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction during the halftime show in 2004. His sons, however, convinced him to take the plunge.

“What was key for me … was I’ve always been an admirer of Ted Knight,” who played the stuffy Judge Elihu Smails in the film, said Cox. “So it was nice to pay homage to Knight because he’s amazing in the movie and being a comic villain.”

One could also argue Cox is tapping into his experience as Logan Roy from the HBO hit Succession in his turn as a frustrated Smails-like golfer.

“I have to get angry, which I can do rather well,” Cox said of his role. “That was Ted Knight in Caddyshack. He gets very, very angry and he loses it on various occasions.”

Other cameos in the spot include Romo in the role of assistant groundskeeper Carl Spackler, which was originally played by Bill Murray. Also keep an eye out for Michael O’Keefe, the actor who played caddy Danny Noonan. He reprises his role to advise Williams on her game. (“Be the ball,” he whispers before an uproarious celebration.)

Marques noted the brand has been “incredibly consistent” with its focus on joy in recent years. That includes the tagline, “It’s Only Worth It If You Enjoy It,” which Michelob adopted in 2020.

In fact, Marques said joy is what he wants viewers to take away on Super Bowl Sunday.

“We hope to put a smile on people’s faces, reminding them that, yes, it is important to sometimes kick back and enjoy [yourself],” he said. “I mean, the world’s greatest do it. Why shouldn’t you do it?”

‘Our best Super Bowl yet’

The Super Bowl is just the start of what Marques called Michelob’s “most commercially integrated plan” ever. 

In a series of January teasers leading up to the full spot, Michelob included a QR code, which made it easy for viewers to buy Michelob from Instacart.

The beer brand’s Super Bowl plan also includes golf-specific packaging, which features a QR code that will unlock the first episode of a new golf-focused Netflix series, Full Swing. The episode will go live following the game and will be available until 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 13.

“This is the first time a blockbuster show will be released through a beer can, which we find quite exciting as well,” Marques said.

In a second in-game spot that will air sometime after the first ad, Romo and Morgan will be joined by pro golfer Rickie Fowler—the only star who drove his own golf cart on set—as they preview Full Swing. The ad will also include a QR code that provides access to the first episode.

Finally, Michelob partnered with golf apparel brand Devereux Golf to create its first-ever women’s line, which is featured in both ads.

“It’s the boldest plan we’ve ever had,” Marques said. “I think it’s going to be our best Super Bowl yet.”