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NEW YORK – Did Michelob Ultra just "right" a wrong that took place over eight years ago? In Kevin Hart's eyes, the answer is a resounding yes.
The scene: Super Bowl, 2018. Hart, the multi-hyphenate entertainer and Philadelphia native, just watched his Eagles defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. The comedian thought that he could get onto the field and then onto the platform for the trophy presentation. Security at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis had other thoughts.
"I will say that the moment would've been even bigger if I had been able to raise that Lombardi Trophy over my head," Hart, 47, joked during an exclusive chat with USA TODAY at the Michelob Ultra Pitchside Club during the FIFA World Cup final weekend. "Granted, I didn't really know where I was due to the fact that I had a long day. It was a little hot out. So sometimes when I'm drinking in the heat, it gets the best of me. And I don't know if you noticed or not, but I weigh 142 pounds."
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The Super Bowl that year was actually indoors and the temperature outside was in the single digits, but there's no need to lose the plot in the details here. Over eight years after Hart was denied a postgame trophy moment, Michelob Ultra came through for him. The beer brand tapped Hart to front its "Chief Trophy Officer" campaign. Throughout the World Cup, Michelob Ultra sponsored the Superior Player of the Match trophy, which was awarded to the top player after each match. On Sunday, joined by Shakira, Hart presented the hardware to Spain's Ferran Torres. The forward scored the game-winning goal in Spain's 1-0 defeat of Argentina.
"How about we just take a moment to celebrate Michelob [Ultra] for just understanding that they got it right?" the comedian said. "They do a great job of engaging with their consumer, celebrating with their consumer."
Michelob Ultra's World Cup campaign leads to Ad Meter victory
Hart wasn't the only big name involved in Michelob Ultra's World Cup plans. The Anheuser-Busch brand's commercial, "The Superior Match," was a star-studded affair that took home top honors in the USA TODAY Ad Meter Brand Spotlight.
In the spot, Lionel Messi and Argentine teammates Lautaro Martínez and Nicolás Paz Martínez face off in an impromptu soccer match against U.S. Soccer’s Christian Pulisic, Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson. The match takes place in a hotel lobby and the winner scores a bucket of Michelob Ultra beers that "Landman" star Billy Bob Thornton had originally ordered from room service. The ad also features appearances from Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, Brazilian two-time World Cup champion Ronaldo Nazario and two-time World Cup champion Alex Morgan.
Messi is no stranger to Michelob Ultra, appearing in the beer brand's 2024 Super Bowl ad. Thornton also knows a thing or two about the beer: his character Tommy Norris drinks Michelob Ultra on the Paramount+ show. In a life-imitating-art moment, the Academy Award winner told USA TODAY that the beverage is now his go-to beer.
"I never had a Michelob Ultra until I started 'Landman,'" Thornton, 70, told USA TODAY from the set of the commercial. "That's (the only beer) I've had since."
Ricardo Marques, SVP Marketing at Michelob Ultra, explained that the commercial took about a year of planning, similar to what the brand experiences with the Super Bowl. But the executive notes that the story doesn't begin with a big name.
"It starts with our spiritual home, the bar," Marques noted. "This is where people will come together with their friends to watch these games celebrate."
Marques called the "Chief Trophy Officer" gig for which Hart was the spokesperson, "the best job in the World Cup." In addition to handling the player trophy and attending the final, the winner received $90,000. Chris Hill, a New Jersey native, was selected as the winner.
"It's unbelievable," Hill said to the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, prior to the final. "I'm still waiting to wake up from this dream. It's becoming more of a reality with each passing day."
Before the World Cup, Marques estimated that Michelob Ultra had about 300 pieces of content ready to deploy in addition to placements in stadiums and on broadcast TV. But he also noted that the brand kept itself "nimble" throughout the tournament, adapting to moments like the U.S. men's national team run and eventually, Argentina's loss and the potential end of Lionel Messi's World Cup career.
Kevin Hart's other Michelob Ultra gig: Karaoke singer
Hart was more than just a pitchman for Michelob Ultra. The actor participated in a round of celebrity karaoke at the Pitchside Club. Hart chose Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" and was joined on stage by "Saturday Night Live" star Marcello Hernández. The two star in "72 Hours," which hits Netflix on Thursday, July 24.
"He doesn't have anything to do," Hart joked about Hernández, who also popped by during Hart's chat with USA TODAY. "He's wide open. He's going to have a good time. I'm just taking him out tonight."
Hopefully Hernández learned a thing or two from Hart. After all, it is summer in New York City, and drinking in the heat can get the best of you.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Hart finally gets his 'trophy moment' in Michelob Ultra campaign
