At first glance, Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl ad appears to be the most star-studded spot of the game, with appearances by Sylvester Stallone, Usher, Maluma, Megan Fox, Lucy Liu, Serena Williams, Don Cheadle—and a voiceover by Christopher Walken to boot.
But as it turns out, the celebs are all look-alikes, except for Cheadle, who meets his double at the end of the spot.
The brew wants viewers to do double-takes in an attempt to prove that not everything is as real as it seems—but that its new organic seltzer, in the ad’s words, is “as real as it tastes.”
Ultra touts the new variety as “USDA-organic certified” with zero sugar or carbs. The 60-second ad arrives amid an ongoing hard seltzer boom as countless brands chase Truly and White Claw, whose initial success fueled the craze.
The spot, called “All-Star Cast,” was directed by Calmatic and comes from FCB.
Ultra VP Ricardo Marques in a statement touted the variety as “the next generation of hard seltzers,” saying there is nothing like it in the market. “In a world where most things seem real, sometimes they’re not: that’s the central theme of our Super Bowl LV campaign, which will certainly entertain as well as educate,” he stated.
Ultra is actually using the real Serena Williams in its other Super Bowl ad, which was released on Jan. 25. But in the seltzer spot, she is played by Olivia Griffian, a model whose resemblance to the tennis star has been featured in media coverage, including this 2015 TMZ post.
Stallone’s doppelganger is Jade Roberts, who got his start impersonating the actor after winning a Rocky look-alike contest in college, according to IMDB. Fox is played by Brazillian Claudia Alende, who Esquire has noted has built a strong social media following thanks to her resemblance to the actress. Cheadle’s lookalike is played by his brother, Colin Cheadle.
Walken’s voice is impersonated by Nolan North, who is known for his voiceover work. But in the ad, actor Conrad Garcia is the portrayed as the voice impersonator at the end. Asked why the brand handled it that way, a spokesman cited a “creative decision.”
Ultra secured the permission from the real stars to use their doubles. The brand even lined up some of the celebs to tease the ad on their social channels, according to a brand spokesman.
