Serena Williams, Alex Morgan & More Sports Icons Find Their ‘Joy’ In Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl Ad

Is the secret to your favorite athlete’s success as simple as a smile? In Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl LV ad, stars like Serena Williams and Anthony Davis prove enjoying the journey is ‘as important as the journey itself.’

By:
Reading Time: 2 minute
February 1, 2021 1:16PM EST
View gallery
Serena Williams at BuzzFeedBuzzFeed, NYPictured: Serena WilliamsRef: SPL5076808 030419 NON-EXCLUSIVEPicture by: SplashNews.comSplash News and PicturesLos Angeles: 310-821-2666New York: 212-619-2666London: 0207 644 7656Milan: 02 4399 8577photodesk@splashnews.comWorld Rights
NYFW VogueWorld Fashion Show Meatpacking District, NY. 12 Sep 2022 Pictured: Serena Williams. Photo credit: RCF / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA895392_005.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]
New York City, NY - Serena Williams tries to avoid fans (as well as Maxwell and his wife see video) while arriving with her husband Alexis Ohanian at the Veronika restaurant & museum for the book launch event for Edward Enninful of Vogue UK in New York City. Pictured: Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, Maxwell BACKGRID USA 8 SEPTEMBER 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients - Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*

“What if we were wrong the whole time?” the narrator asks at the start of “Happy,” Michelob ULTRA’s commercial for Super Bowl LV. Against a slideshow of sports success – Anthony Davis planting a kiss on the NBA Championship trophy, Alex Morgan doing the same with the Women’s World Cup – the narrator wonders if we’ve been wrong thinking “that joy only happens at the end, after the sacrifice, after the commitment, after the win. What if happiness has always been there, fueling the run towards greatness?” The commercial suggests that happiness is not a “distraction” for success, but a vital ingredient in these athlete’s rise to the top

To drive this home, the commercial features stars enjoying life, instead of spending every waking moment training, practicing, and struggling. We see Peyton Manning goofing around with his friends, Anthony Davis playing chess with his father, and Serena Williams living her full rockstar fantasy with a round of karaoke. Helping these icons enjoy themselves is Michelob ULTRA, the light beer that boasts just 95 calories and 2.6 carbs (because you still need to be conscious of your caloric intake, even on your downtime._ The uplifting spot asks if “joy is the whole game, not just the end game,” and that people should ask if they’re “happy because you win,” or do you “win because you’re happy?” On top of this, the commercial was expertly scored with A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It,” the perfect soundtrack for this celebration of joy.

I’m going to tell my kids this was Destiny’s Child. (Kidding — it’s another icon, Serena Williams, having fun in Michelob ULTRA’s Super Bowl LV commercial)

“Enjoying the moments along the journey is as important as the journey itself,” said Ricardo Marques, Vice President of Marketing, Michelob ULTRA, said in a press release. “That’s why we’re partnering with some of the greatest athletes of our generation: to remind us all that joy and happiness are not a distraction but instead, a key ingredient to winning and success.”

Alex Morgan proves she’s a two-sport athlete in Michelob ULTRA’s Super Bowl LV ad.

This ad is the latest in Michelob ULTRA’s “It’s Only Worth It If You Enjoy It,” one that reminds everyone that success doesn’t have to be a struggle. Wieden + Kennedy New York is the agency behind this spot, and it marks Michelob ULTRA’s sixth consecutive Super Bowl appearance. In previous spots, Zoe Kravitz delivered some soothing ULTA ASMR, and Jimmy Fallon found the “lighter side” of working out (courtesy of John Cena).