The star of Inter Miami and global soccer giant Lionel Messi is getting ready to make waves at Super Bowl LVIII as the featured performer in a 60-second commercial for the low-calorie beer brand Michelob Ultra.
Lionel Messi will star in $14m Super Bowl ads
The news is made at a time when Messi’s impact is felt everywhere from the famous Super Bowl platform to his dominance in the MLS. The anticipated ad’s trailer features Messi at a bar ordering a beer; the story revolves around his response when the faucet suddenly stops pouring.
Based on Super Bowl XLVII advertising rates, the high-profile advertisement, which is reported to have cost $14 million, highlights Messi’s expanding influence off the soccer field. Messi’s association with Anheuser-Busch, the parent firm of Michelob Ultra, began in 2020, and the Super Bowl commercial signifies a noteworthy financial outlay for soccer promotion.
In addition to the Super Bowl, Michelob Ultra is expected to sponsor the Copa America this summer and the men’s World Cup in 2026, which will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The Super Bowl commercial is consistent with Messi’s wide range of brand endorsements, which include Hard Rock International, Royal Caribbean, Apple TV, Gatorade, Adidas, and Gatorade.
Messi has a massive social media following—nearly 500 million on Instagram—and his marketing appeal goes well beyond sports. Known for spending a lot of money on Super Bowl advertisements, Anheuser-Busch hopes to harness Messi’s celebrity to reach the anticipated 100 million viewers during the game.
The beverage behemoth’s previous Michelob Ultra commercial from the previous year’s Super Bowl starred athletes like Canelo Alvarez, Rickie Fowler, Jimmy Butler, Tony Romo, Serena Williams, and Alex Morgan in a sports-themed scene at Bushwood Country Club from the film “Caddyshack.”
