One of the funniest things about Serena Williams picking up these huge paychecks for shilling alcohol is that she has historically never been much of a boozer. She’s occasionally been photographed with a glass of wine or champagne, but throughout her tennis career, she mostly stayed away from hard liquor and beer. But a paycheck is a paycheck, so Serena has gone full-throttle into booze advertising. Her management is so good (hey Jill) that Serena doesn’t even have non-compete clauses built into her contracts. Which means that Serena appeared in two Super Bowl commercials, one for Remy Martin cognac and one for Michelob Ultra. Here’s the Remy Martin one, where Serena delivers Al Pacino’s speech from Any Given Sunday.
And here’s the Michelob Ultra ad, which also stars Brian Cox, Tony Romo, Alex Morgan, Canelo Alvarez, Jimmy Butler and Nneka Ogumwike. This is the “extended version,” not the one which aired during the Super Bowl.
So… Serena was involved in commercials which were riffs on Caddyshack and Any Given Sunday. While I appreciate that she’s getting paid, I wish Serena would insist on better creative for her ads? Imagine paying Serena all of that money and then just phoning it in conceptually. “I don’t know, let’s just get her to recite the Any Given Sunday speech.”
Loving my @remymartinUS Super Bowl ad. Was so fun!!! #SuperBowl2023 #SuperBowlCommercial
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) February 13, 2023
Ok ok I’m done with my Ads how about 2 Super Bowl commercials. I’m still so speechless. Thanks @MichelobULTRA and yes I can golf… a little 🙋🏿♀️
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) February 13, 2023
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Remy Martin.
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- CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 13: Serena Williams wearing Atelier Versace arrives at the 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2022 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 669532246, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Serena Williams, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Serena Williams attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones celebrating the 94th annual Academy Awards at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 27, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California,Image: 673588266, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Serena Williams, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Serena Williams (USA) defeated Anett Kontaveit,Image: 718226825, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic / Panoramic / Avalon
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- New York, NY – Serena Williams wins her first round match against D.Kovinic during the US Open 2022 tournament at the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. This is the last U.S. Open Serena Williams will be playing in because she recently announced retiring from tennis. Pictured: Serena Williams BACKGRID USA 29 AUGUST 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / 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*
I liked her cameo in The Glass Onion. I wonder how much she gets paid for Super Bowl commercials like that? Does anyone know? Also, will there be a time when she won’t do fluff work like this for the money? She and her husband are super-rich. I have the same question for all the super-rich people doing these ads. Why Jo-Lo, Ben, etc.? I know I’ll never be at their money level, but I don’t think I’d bother.
easy $5 million (depends who the ad is for i guess)
Ok get money Serena, I appreciate the hustle. HOWever, if she were smarter and more savvy, she would hire (and include for all commercials, in contract) a very, very seasoned and very, very professional MUA with experience in doing makeup AND lighting FOR the makeup for Black people.
No reason to be out here looking pale, overdone and slightly ashy on national and international television in the year of our Beyonce 2023.
A shame.
The Caddyshack one was fun, the other a bit lame. Love Serena, but she’s no Al Pacino.
I laughed through the Caddyshack one. The other was not as I good, but I got the feeling that she probably enjoyed doing that one. Don’t ask, just a feeling I have.