Michelob ULTRA and 'Top Gun' Director Team Up for Super Bowl LX Teaser

Campaign Snapshot

▶Brand: Michelob ULTRA

▶Campaign Title: "The Jump"

▶Launch Date: January 20, 2026

▶Agency: W+K NY

▶Featured Talent: Chloe Kim and T.J. Oshie

▶Core Platforms: Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube

▶Primary Product / Focus: Super Bowl 2026 Teaser

Michelob ULTRA is kicking off its Super Bowl moment, combining winter sport drama with Team USA pride in a teaser directed by "Top Gun: Maverick" director Joseph Kosinski.

Titled "The Jump," the new teaser launches the Anheuser-Busch brand’s Super Bowl LX presence with a twist.

Instead of your typical football setting, the film places viewers on a snowy slope where a novice skier named Greg accelerates down an icy run.

Known for high-energy action films such as "F1," Kosinski’s involvement gives the teaser cinematic weight as it bridges two major sporting calendars: the Big Game and the Olympic Winter Games.

Wieden+Kennedy New York continues its partnership with Michelob ULTRA through this campaign that leans into lifestyle storytelling and sport-driven moments.

It favors emotional resonance and everyday athleticism, keeping the brand grounded in how people actually socialize and move.

This kind of brand positioning has helped Michelob ULTRA maintain relevance without drifting into familiar beer advertising tropes.

At the same time, parent company Anheuser-Busch is approaching the Super Bowl with a broader portfolio view.

Its lineup includes flagship brands like Budweiser and Bud Light, signaling how seriously the brewer treats the broadcast as a stage for brand hierarchy and scale.

Within this mix, Michelob ULTRA continues to target consumers who connect athletic identity with social occasions, a focus that has helped place it among America’s most-purchased beers.

Who's the Main Character?

The short teaser film doesn't just hype up sports fans, but lets intrigue brew inside of them. 

It starts with an amateur skier on the slopes, with Olympic gold medallist Chloe Kim and Olympian and Stanley Cup champion T.J. Oshie watching in awe.

Chloe’s line, “there’s only one man who could’ve taught him that,” shifts attention to an unseen fourth character and hints at a bigger reveal in the full Super Bowl spot.

While the full commercial will keep viewers guessing about the identity of this teacher, the teaser sets up a conversation during early-day Big Game coverage.

Beyond broadcast, the campaign is expected to roll out extensions across digital and social platforms, where teasers like this often live longer than their 30- or 60-second game-day slots.

Similarly, brands like Budweiser have used legacy figures and mystery elements to build early engagement ahead of premieres in recent years.

In fact, the Anheuser-Busch-owned company also launched its own teaser showing the return of the Clydesdales and a small, mystery character. 

What We Can Learn From Michelob ULTRA’s Super Bowl Tease

Michelob ULTRA’s use of sports narratives shows the value of cultural athletic timing. The lessons for marketers are clear:

• Build anticipation with teasers that feel cinematic, not just promotional.
• Activate athlete partnerships that resonate with your audience’s lifestyle values.
• Use event adjacencies to make your campaign and brand relevant beyond a single broadcast day.

The real test is whether this teaser boosts recall and conversation as the full spot drops and the Winter Games draw closer.

Last year, Michelob ULTRA overtook long-time competitors to become the best-selling beer in America by volume.

It's a milestone that proves its athlete-aligned positioning is one that continues to work.

Our Take: Is This the New Sports Storytelling?

In my view, "The Jump" does exactly what it's supposed to: leave the viewers guessing.

But beyond that, tapping into winter athletics and Olympic excitement allowed the beer brand to hit two birds with one stone.

If you can boost the name of your brand with a campaign that manages to cover two major sports events, then I believe you're bound to succeed.

Sometimes, you can't limit yourself to thinking about the 60-second ad space you've spent on.

Super Bowl advertising is about capturing conversation early and keeping it through Monday, and this teaser is a step in the right direction.

In other news, Salesforce and MrBeast are teaming up for a creator-led Super Bowl spot this year.