Kurt Russell is finally crashing the Super Bowl commercial party—and he picked one heck of a first time. The actor headlines his first-ever Big Game ad for Michelob Ultra, shot not on a cozy Hollywood soundstage but at Snowbird Mountain Resort in Utah, where avalanches are controlled with actual explosives. Welcome to beer advertising, mountain edition. Russell plays “The ULTRA Instructor,” a tough-love ski coach training Lewis Pullman’s character to stop losing downhill races—and footing the bill for post-ski Michelobs. The spot is directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, F1) and also features Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and NHL star T.J. Oshie. The vibe: high-energy, sports-forward, and scored to “Eye of the Tiger” and “Ante Up.” Despite brutal cold, lift-only access to sets, road closures, and surprise snowfall, the production leaned into the chaos. Some of the best moments—like Russell’s line “find your inner Greg”—were improvised. Russell says the process felt more like making a movie than a commercial, which explains why Michelob Ultra went big: this is part of its largest Super Bowl push ever, tied to the Winter Olympics, Team USA, and upcoming global sports events.
