Tony Romo Is Re-Creating A Classic Caddyshack Role For Michelob
While Tony Romo had a spectacular run as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys between 2003 and 2017, he's also been prominent on our TV screens in other ways. He joined CBS commentating for the NFL shortly after his retirement and also managed to star in a large number of commercials. These include ads for Google Home, a series of ads for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association promoting — you guessed it — beef, Subway, Pizza Hut, Corona beer, and the 2021 Super Bowl Skechers advertisement (via iSpot.tv).
This year, Romo stars in another beer commercial for Michelob Ultra. The beer is marketed towards people who are concerned about their health but still want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage — the fact that each bottle contains 95 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs is prominent in their advertising (via Michelob Ultra). This is not the first Super Bowl the company has advertised in. Last year the company's ad featured a number of celebrity names – including Steve Buscemi – and was set in a fictional bowling alley called "Superior Bowl" (via Sporting News).
Michelob has taken an unusual approach to the 2023 Superbowl commercial recreating scenes from the classic '80s Bill Murray film "Caddyshack."
Sometimes the ads are more popular than the game
In the snippet of the Michelob Ultra ad that has been released, Tony Romo is wearing the familiar bucket hat, instantly recognizable from the "Caddyshack" film. He also adopts Murray's distinct vocal styling as he commentates to himself with the words, "The crowd is deadly silent. A classic Cinderella story happening right in front of their eyes. Former quarterback about to become tournament champion!" before swinging his golf club at ball amongst flowerbeds, per YouTube.
Super Bowl commercials are extremely popular with both viewers and advertisers alike. Sometimes ads are remembered long after the game is over, and, according to the Illinois News Bureau, sometimes people watch just for the commercials rather than the game itself. It's one of the most expensive forms of advertisement, costing companies in excess of $6.5 million, however, it's one of the few forms of television advertising that people won't skip. Advertisers know that they're so popular that some even release ad "trailers" letting people know what sort of entertainment to expect during the game.
The full version of Tony Romo's 2023 Michelob Ultra commercial as "Carl Spackler" will be shown during the Superbowl on February 12.