Whether you’re betting on the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks in the imminent cultural sensation that will be Super Bowl XLVIII , Bud Light is banking on the world’s fascination with the absurd. In this case, we’re talking Arnold Schwarzenegger decked out like an early-90s Andre Agassi (sans power mullet), doing calisthenics to warm up for what looks to be the most epic table tennis match since Forrest Gump .
Now, what do Arnold Schwarzenegger and ping pong have to do with America’s top-selling beer ? Does it even matter at this point? Billing its light lager as “the perfect beer for whatever happens,” Bud Light is teasing viewers with these intros to sure-fire hilarity with the obvious Big Game foreshadowing “2.2.14” and hashtag #UpForWhatever.
Of course, Arnold isn’t the only star taking part; Schwarzenegger is sharing the spotlight with actor Don Cheadle, comedian Reggie Watts — and a llama. A total of six spots can be seen on the official Bud Light YouTube channel ; Arnold appears in only two of them. His other ad features the action star, body builder and former governor slowly, methodically, and stone-faced seriously zipping up his fabulous warm-up jacket before uttering, simply, “Surprise.”
What’s surprising is the unnatural urge Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bud Light are charming out of television viewers in the digital video recorder age: purposely seeking out commercial advertisements. When was the last time the people were so captured by ads that they wanted to see them, even had a countdown of anticipation? Oh, yeah. Last Super Bowl…
“Our six Super Bowl ad teasers give viewers a peek behind the curtain, but fans will have to tune-in during the game to see how these seemingly unrelated events form one cohesive story,” Bud Light VP Rob McCarthy said in a statement via Ad Age .
Or you could just check online the next day. If Bud Light doesn’t have the Schwarzenegger ads posted in their entirety yet, someone else surely will have.
The New York Post reports that Arnold will be cashing in on a cool $3 million , courtesy of Bud Light. That’s roughly 40 times what he reportedly made for his iconic role in The Terminator , according to TheRichest.com . In terms of dollars per minute on camera, it’s likely to be one of Schwarzenegger’s more lucrative roles. Hopefully it’s one of his funniest too.
What insanity are you expecting from Arnold Schwarzenegger in these commercials? Are you as excited as you would be for an Arnold movie? Would you rather watch the Super Bowl or commercials with Arnold Schwarzenegger?