Why The Song In Michelob Ultra's Super Bowl 2022 Commercial Sounds Familiar
As with any other big name brand airing commercials during the 2022 Super Bowl, which pits the Cincinnati Bengals against the Los Angeles Rams, Michelob Ultra is bringing in A-list celebrity reinforcements to promote their brand. Thus far, the brand has released three teasers to pique Super Bowl viewers' interest. In the teasers, retired NFL player Peyton Manning and actor Steve Buscemi work and play in an old-timey bowling alley with an "opening" date set for the same date as the 2022 Super Bowl — Sunday, February 13. According to Adweek, in his Michelob Ultra commercial, Manning is seen dressed in blue and picking up an orange bowling ball, which has been reported to be a nod to his time with the Denver Broncos. Buscemi's appearance in Michelob Ultra's Super Bowl commercial might also be a nod to his role in "The Big Lebowski," a film that centered around The Hollywood Star Lanes bowling alley. Michelob Ultra's 2022 Super Bowl commercial is also set to feature five other stars who have yet to be announced.
As People reports, Manning was also featured in Michelob Ultra's Super Bowl commercial in 2021. In the commercial, Manning was wearing a cowboy hat and throwing darts with his former NFL teammate, Brandon Stokley. Back in 2015, Buscemi starred in a hilarious Snickers commercial with actor Danny Trejo, per Time.
The song featured in the commercial originally appeared in a pivotal Kingpin scene
If you're the sort of person who pays attention to the soundtrack of commercials, films, and television shows, it's likely that your ears perked up when you watched Michelob Ultra's series of 2022 Super Bowl commercials. Playing in the background of the commercial, observant listeners will recognize the song "Showdown" by Electric Light Orchestra. The song was released in 1973, and its creator, Electric Light Orchestra's lead singer Jeff Lynne, admits that there is no real meaning behind the song. "It's one of my favorites, though the lyrics don't mean anything, really," Lynne told Rolling Stone. "It's just a story, a made-up scenario. A lot of people ask me what my songs mean and I have no idea. It means something different to me every time I sing it."
Despite its lack of specific meaning, this will be the second bowling scene in which the song has appeared. The first appearance was in the 1996 comedy "Kingpin." The song played as the characters portrayed by Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray faced off against one another in a high-pressure bowling match, per Consequence. Does this point to an appearance by one of the actors in Michelob Ultra's upcoming Super Bowl commercial? Fans will have to wait and see.