The wait for Super Bowl LVI is almost over, which means companies are beginning to unveil their Super Bowl commercials. We’ve seen plenty of teasers, but we’ve yet to see many full-length ads. This makes sense, as the majority are waiting until the big day for their premieres. Salesforce, however, is taking a different approach. With Matthew McConaughey as their leading man, the software company launched what will be their Super Bowl ad during the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The commercial begins with McConaughey floating in space, intentionally bringing thoughts of Interstellar to viewers’ minds. It then abruptly shifts gears, and the camera pans out. McConaughey is revealed to be floating not in a spaceship but a hot air balloon. He travels over America spreading his message: instead of looking to space for answers, we need to focus on what we have here on Earth. In one line of the Seussian rhyme, McConaughey states, “while the others look to the metaverse and Mars, let’s stay here and restore ours”.
As the “metaverse” reference felt rather pointed, a Variety interviewer was sure to bring it up when he sat down the star of the ad. The interviewer asks, “Have you heard from Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Mark Zuckerburg?”
“No, but I would love to sit down with the four of us and have a roundtable fun discussion,” McConaughey responds with a laugh. “Look, we did that line on purpose. It’s a wink and nudge. But our campaign is not anti-technology. It’s not anti-pioneering space. It’s saying, ‘Hey, we have to not be so ready to quit on our home team; our home planet. We got a home field advantage. Let’s take care of it’. If and when we do get to space — or if the day comes when there is a great migration or immigration or travel to space — I bet Elon, Mark and Jeff would like to export a more valuable society there with people that didn’t take all the problems and angst and fear that we got right now.”
The Message Behind Matthew McConaughey’s New Venture
Along with being the star of their new commercial, Matthew McConaughey also acts as the brand partner and advisor for Salesforce. Together, they hope to inspire both companies and individuals to use their platforms for change.
Though they’re not anti-space, they have big plans for improving things here on Earth. Their ambitious pledge to the people of Earth includes planting a trillion trees by the year 2030. They also plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
When asked about their partnership with McConaughey, Salesforce President and Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah Franklin, shared the following message. “Guided by our core values of trust, customer success, innovation, and equality, we are shining a light on how businesses and people can come together to build a better future. We’re delighted to partner with the acclaimed actor and writer Matthew McConaughey to co-create and share this campaign, and we invite the global community to join in.”
