by Kelly Campbell
The Super Bowl is this weekend, and as excited as we are for the Chiefs and Eagles matchup, we really can’t wait to see pickleball steal the show.
Pickleball made headlines once again in January when Michelob Ultra dropped their pickleball-centered Super Bowl ad with movie stars Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara. With the Super Bowl being the most-watched sporting event every year, the spotlight is on pickleball more than ever.
Super Bowl ads have evolved to become nearly as important as the big game itself, especially for those who don’t follow football or whose favorite teams didn’t make it. The ads that are typically considered a nuisance year-round become their own spectacle on Super Bowl Sunday.
Read on for more about pickleball’s Super Bowl slot and why Michelob Ultra’s ad is more than just a funny homage to pickleball.
“The ULTRA Hustle” Combines Dinking with Drinking Beer
Michelob Ultra’s pickleball Super Bowl ad has picklers everywhere excited for the big game.
The ad depicts Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara as doubles partners scouting out and challenging other athletes to pickleball matches for a grand prize: a Michelob Ultra. The commercial ends with a shot of the victors raising their Michelob Ultra’s to celebrate their wins.
This ad kicks off Michelob’s campaign “Play for Ultra,” catering to an audience that loves playing sports (in this case, pickleball) and drinking beer.
If you need a refresher, Willem Dafoe is a Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated actor known for roles in Spider-Man, Platoon, and Grand Budapest Hotel. Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara has starred in hits like Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Both starred together in the 2024 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice film.
In the 60-second commercial, Dafoe and O’Hara face off against professional athletes. Match after match, they take down Olympic gold medalist Ryan Couser, NFL icon Randy Moss, and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu. You also might recognize these professional pickleball players in the ad: Jaume Martinez Vich, Parris Todd, Hunter Johnson, and Emily Cederquist.
In an interview with Adweek, associate creative director at W+K NY Maclean Jackson said, “We combined a sports drama and a heist comedy. We cast two unlikely, iconic talents as our heroes and superstar athletes as opponents, all while keeping ULTRA at the core of the story.”
It’s important to note the clear age difference between Dafoe and O’Hara and their professional pickleball competitors in the commercial, which inadvertently smashes ageist pickleball stereotypes as they win each match.
According to USA Today, Willem Dafoe hadn’t heard of pickleball before starring in this commercial (yes, it seems they still exist!).
“I guess I live under a rock,” Dafoe told USA TODAY on the commercial’s set. “When this was proposed to me, I said, ‘What the hell’s pickleball? Really?’ I didn’t know. And it’s fabulous.”
We know that for every football fan watching this Sunday, there’s someone who’s there for the halftime show and ads––even Catherine O’Hara herself. She told CNN, “I think half the people that watch it are watching for the commercials. I’m honored to be in one.”
Super Bowl Ads Through the Years
So, when did Super Bowl ads become a thing?
Companies pour millions every year into Super Bowl advertising, competing with each other to create funny, impactful, and memorable commercials that viewers will be talking about for days (or years). The celebration of creativity comes at a cost––one that’s climbing higher every year.
This year, a 30-second Super Bowl ad costs $7 million.
It seems like most companies consider the prices worthwhile because there’s a lot of competition to get a slot during the biggest event of the year. Our culture’s obsession with Super Bowl commercials––laughing at them, crying at them, critiquing them––is especially fascinating when you consider that we spend the other 364 days of the year grimacing at and trying to avoid advertisements altogether.
The first Super Bowl was on January 15, 1969. That year, a Super Bowl ad cost $37,500. Advertisements were simple at first but evolved to match growing interest in the Super Bowl. As Super Bowl popularity grew in the 80s and 90s, marketers began to identify the game as a huge opportunity to reach a wide audience, not just football fans. According to Martech, Super Bowl ads are incredibly effective.
Throughout the years, the Super Bowl has become less about football and more about the overall event. Even those who didn’t watch one single game during the regular season or who hate football altogether might attend Super Bowl parties––whether for the food, the friends, the halftime show, or the funny commercials.
USA Today posted a list of Super Bowl ad costs, which climb each year:
Super Bowl 1, 1967 – $37,500
Super Bowl 2, 1968 – $54,500
Super Bowl 3, 1969 – $55,000
Super Bowl 4, 1970 – $78,200
Super Bowl 5, 1971 – $72,500
Super Bowl 6, 1972 – $86,100
Super Bowl 7, 1973 – $88,100
Super Bowl 8, 1974 – $103,500
Super Bowl 9, 1975 – $107,000
Super Bowl 10, 1976 – $110,000
Super Bowl 11, 1977 – $125,000
Super Bowl 12, 1978 –$162,300
Super Bowl 13, 1979 – $185,000
Super Bowl 14, 1980 – $222,000
Super Bowl 15, 1981 – $275,000
Super Bowl 16, 1982 – $324,300
Super Bowl 17, 1983 – $400,000
Super Bowl 18, 1984 – $368,200
Super Bowl 19, 1985 – $525,000
Super Bowl 20, 1986 – $550,000
Super Bowl 21, 1987 – $600,000
Super Bowl 22, 1988 – $645,500
Super Bowl 23, 1989 – $675,500
Super Bowl 24, 1990 – $700,400
Super Bowl 25, 1991 – $800,000
Super Bowl 26, 1992 – $850,000
Super Bowl 27, 1993 – $850,000
Super Bowl 28, 1994 – $900,000
Super Bowl 29, 1995 – $1.15 million
Super Bowl 30, 1996 – $1.085 million
Super Bowl 31, 1997 – $1.2 million
Super Bowl 32, 1998 – $1.29 million
Super Bowl 33, 1999 – $1.6 million
Super Bowl 34, 2000 – $2.1 million
Super Bowl 35, 2001 – $2.2 million
Super Bowl 36, 2002 – $2.2 million
Super Bowl 37, 2003 – $2.2 million
Super Bowl 38, 2004 – $2.3 million
Super Bowl 39, 2005 – $2.4 million
Super Bowl 40, 2006 – $2.5 million
Super Bowl 41, 2007 – $2.385 million
Super Bowl 42, 2008 – $2.699 million
Super Bowl 43, 2009 – $2.999 million
Super Bowl 44, 2010 – $2.954 million
Super Bowl 45, 2011 – $3.1 million
Super Bowl 46, 2012 – $3.5 million
Super Bowl 47, 2013 – $3.8 million
Super Bowl 48, 2014 – $4 million
Super Bowl 49, 2015 – $4.25 million
Super Bowl 50, 2016 – $4.5 million
Super Bowl 51, 2017 – $5 million
Super Bowl 52, 2018 – $5.2 million
Super Bowl 53, 2019 – $5.3 million
Super Bowl 54, 2020 – $5.6 million
Super Bowl 55, 2021 – $5.5 million
Super Bowl 56, 2022 – $6.5 million
Super Bowl 57, 2023 – $7 million
Super Bowl 58, 2024 – $7 million
Super Bowl 59, 2025 – $7 million, with some brands reportedly paying around $8 million
Super Bowl Ads are Huge for Pickleball
Considering the astronomical cost, it’s a big dill that pickleball has made it to another Super Bowl ad, and people have already been talking about it.
Pickleball fanatics remember how exciting it was to see ETrade by Morgan Stanley’s “Picklebabies” ad last year, the clever and funny commercial showing babies and adults playing each other in a pickleball match.
Companies know that the stakes are high to nail their Super Bowl commercials. They need to create something that’s culturally relevant, can appeal to a wide audience, and will help make back some of that $7+ million. Having such a big brand, particularly a beer brand, choosing to highlight pickleball is a testament to pickleball’s relevance and growth while opening up avenues for even more dink opportunities in the future.
While last year’s ad capitalized off of pickleball relevance to promote the ease of investing with ETrade, this year’s commercial depicts pickleball as an activity that’s not only competitive but also fun and relaxing. It combines the best of both worlds in pickleball, highlighting everything we love most about it. Pickleball is perfect whether you’re a serious athlete looking for a good workout or just want to play a fun sport with friends and some beers. The celebrity additions also bolster pickleball’s credibility, and even though Dafoe and O’Hara might not have been avid pickleball players when they signed on to film this ad, we know many celebrities are.
Here are some reasons why this ad, in particular, is a huge opportunity for pickleball growth:
- Exposure: There’s still an untapped audience for pickleball (as demonstrated by Willem Dafoe). The Super Bowl ad brings pickleball awareness to an estimated $115+ million viewers. These ads prompt discussion at Super Bowl gatherings, allowing picklers to find each other, build connections, and foster a strong pickleball community.
- Popularity: This ad proves that pickleball is still trendy and relevant enough to be the focus of a multi-million dollar advertisement and will likely ignite or reignite pickleball passion amongst viewers.
- Money: This isn’t just an ad for beer; it’s an ad for pickleball. The commercial depicts the sport as desirable, fun, and intense. Michelob’s pickleball investment can inspire more money to get funneled into pickleball.
- Professional Legitimacy: Pickleball is now playing a role at the most-watched sporting event of the year. As the kickoff ad for the “Play for Ultra” campaign, it has a spot as a core sport, just like the featured sports that will likely follow.
- Pro Player Fame: This ad puts real-life professional pickleball players on the map.
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