Rakuten's Throwback Super Bowl Commercial Features A Familiar '90s Movie Icon
The Super Bowl on February 12, 2023, will see the matchup between Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, but people won't be watching just for the game. In a 2021 Statista survey, around 40% of viewers said they watched the Super Bowl for the commercials. And since the Super Bowl draws millions of viewers, sometimes topping 100 million, 40% is a lot of eyeballs, and advertisers have taken notice. This year, the starting price for a 30-second Super Bowl commercial is $6.5 million, as reported by Sporting News.
That's a lot of cash, and companies pull out the stops to make for a memorable commercial amidst the 80 to 90 commercials that will run. Though they're not always memorable for a good reason. Think Matt Damon promoting cryptocurrency, an ad Damon's been roasted for appearing in as the crypto bubble burst. Then there are the ads that become a part of the zeitgeist, like Cindy Crawford drinking a Pepsi in 1992. And the Clydesdales have been a part of Budweiser Super Bowl commercials for 40 years, even if they did skip a 2021 Super Bowl commercial, via KSDK. And some companies have started releasing teasers for their Super Bowl commercials, and fans of '90s films won't want to miss the Rakuten teaser.
None other than Cher from Clueless will show up during this year's Super Bowl
In the description on YouTube for their 15-second Super Bowl commercial teaser, Rakuten wrote "The world's best shopper returns for Rakuten's big game commercial." So who else could it be other than Alicia Silverstone as Cher from "Clueless?" It's giving full '90s vibes thanks to the iconic yellow plaid blazer and mini-skirt from the movie. After walking through a full classroom, Silverstone as Cher turns to the camera and says, "Don't bug. Your girl is back." Bonus, it includes a snippet of "Alright" by Supergrass from the movie soundtrack. And judging by the comments, people are loving seeing Silverstone in one of her most famous roles and are stoked to see the full commercial.
Rakuten, for those who don't know, is an app or browser extension that gets you cash back for online shopping. According to their website, it works with over 3,000 websites and they have over 15 million members. Rakuten came to Silverstone to ask her about playing the part, and Silverstone told Variety how well she thought the character of Cher fit the part: "When I think about Cher and about how she's film's most historic shopaholic, the idea that she would be able to use this app is the greatest hack ever, getting cash back on all your shopping. I feel like she would want everyone to know that."