Jim Carrey reprises his role as the cable guy from the 1996 film The Cable Guy as he contends with new technology in the Verizon 2022 Super Bowl ad. The Super Bowl is always an opportunity for companies to put their best marketing foot forward, as the event is consistently one of the highest viewed television programs of any given year. This year, 30-second ad show during the annual football game went for around $6.5 to $7 million.
The Cable Guy follows Carrey's titular character, an intense eccentric who becomes involved in the life of a customer played by Matthew Broderick. The film received mixed reviews upon release but has since become a cult classic, and is considered one of Carrey's best comedy performances along with The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. Carrey's brief return to his Cable Guy role for the ad was teased in the lead-up to the big Super Bowl game, which had plenty of prospective viewers poised for a nostalgic clip. Given that the final Verizon ad was 60 seconds long, the spot likely cost around $13-14 million.
The Verizon ad begins with Carrey's cable guy knocking on the door of a woman's apartment, claiming to be there to install cable. The woman then explains that she doesn't need cable due to having Verizon 5G, with Carrey responding in confusion. The cable guy then enters the apartment and examines the device that allows the 5G connection, as the two discuss the benefits of the company's offering. Carrey's character then leaves after promising to return later to re-check the connection, much to the woman's chagrin. Check out the full Super Bowl ad below:
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Carrey's film career began in slapstick comedy roles like The Cable Guy and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, before he expanded into more dramatic roles such as The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Lately, the actor been returning to his more over-the-top roots with performances as Dr. Eggman in Sonic the Hedgehog and its upcoming sequel. Carrey's reprisal of one of his most iconic roles is certainly a fun and nostalgic throwback, and the new ad had many fans online recalling how much they loved the original film.
Super Bowl LVI continues the long-standing tradition of having big-name celebrities reprise some of their most famous roles for ads, arguably making the commercials more highly anticipated than the game itself for some viewers. This new Verizon ad is no expectation, giving Carrey room to return to some of the physical comedic antics that made him a star in the first place. With his performance in Sonic the Hedgehog, Carrey seems to be making a conscious effort to return to his roots, and though a Super Bowl ad might be an odd place for it, it will nonetheless be appreciated by fans of Carrey's work and the cult following The Cable Guy enjoys.
Source: Verizon