Serena Williamshas her bowling arm ready.
The tennis icon is ready to take on some of the sports world’s other greats at Superior Bowl, the old-timey bowling alley that serves as the setting forMichelob Ultra’sSuper Bowl 56commercial.
In the full big game spot, released Tuesday and officially titled"Welcome to Superior Bowl," actor Steve Buscemi supplies NFL great Peyton Manning with a pair of bowling shoes and a brew as other athletes, including golfer Brooks Koepka, soccer star Alex Morgan, WNBA athlete Nneka Ogwumike and the NBA’s Jimmy Buttler, hit the lanes in search of a strike.
Time seems to stand still when Williams — wearing orange sneakers and a curve-hugging purple jumpsuit embroidered with her name — enters the bowling alley. Says Buscemi (who, of course, most famously bowls in the 1998 movieThe Big Lebowski), “Game time.”
“It’s only worth it if you enjoy it,” the screen reads as the ad comes to an end.
In a press release, Michelob Ultra says its fictional Superior Bowl is “a place where legendary athletes and entertainers who embody the pursuit of health and happiness in equal measure, enjoy themselves all while celebrating with a superior light beer.” Part of the equality manifested for Michelob Ultra in Williams, Ogwumike and Morgan’s participation.
Serena Williams.Courtesy Michelob Ultra
She adds, “It’s a great opportunity to applaud the brand for just elevating female athletes, and really walking the walk and talking the talk.”
Williams says inclusivity and equal billing for female athletes is something that’s often in the conversation, but not really delivered on. “Include us in ads,” she tells PEOPLE. “Include us in Super Bowl campaigns. And not just one or two, but all of us. And so it was really cool to have more female athletes … not more, but just the same number. It was like, ‘Okay. There we go.’ "
The superstar athlete specifically filmed her part in the ad with Buscemi, which she says was “really cool” as she’s a fan of the veteran actor. And the feeling was mutual.
“I was actually a big fan of his. And he said he was a big fan of mine, too,” recounts Williams. “We vibed a lot. We chatted a lot. We took pictures. We got some really cool behind-the-scenes footage, which I can’t wait to post. It’s been really cool and really fun.”
source: people.com
