Will Ferrell Tees Up With Genesis, Mike's Hard in 'The Hawk'

Will Ferrell just talked a luxury automaker and a hard lemonade brand into handing him their marketing budgets for a round of golf.

Netflix is rolling out two separate tie-ins for "The Hawk," Ferrell's new golf comedy and his first-ever scripted series regular role, premiering July 16.

Genesis and Mike's Hard Lemonade each built their own version of the joke.

This meant working directly with Ferrell and his creative team so the ads stay within the absurd world designed for his character, golf villain Lonnie Hawkins.

Magno Herran is Netflix's VP of global brand marketing and partnerships.

He said both brands treated the show as a chance to try something outside their usual marketing tone.

"What I love about these two partnerships is how both brands used the opportunity as permission to take a swing at something new," he said.

"For Genesis that was comedy, and for Mike's Hard Lemonade that was a bold step into golf."

This native placement is how Genesis and Mike's build brand awareness with an audience that showed up for Ferrell and comedy.

Two Brands, Two Jokes

Mike's Hard Lemonade's intrusion centers on Golden Fisk, played by Luke Wilson, Hawkins' on-screen rival.

Emmy winner Lucia Aniello, known for "Hacks," directed the ad, playing on a fictional villain becoming the real-world face of a product relaunch.

The campaign moves off-screen, too, with Mike's x The Hawk branding hitting retail stores nationwide.

A sweepstakes also offers limited-edition merch tied to the pairing.

Genesis takes the opposite route, casting the quiet cabin of its GV80 SUV as the only real defense against a Lance Hawkins-induced meltdown.

Jimmy Tatro returns as Hawkins, Lonnie's son, for what the brand calls its first comedic campaign.

Genesis usually plays things straight and serious, which makes the comedy a real departure.

Netflix's Dual-Sponsor Comedy Strategy

Genesis and Mike's Hard Lemonade each kept a distinct voice, so both campaigns read as their own.

Junior golf participation has climbed 58% since 2019, the largest gain of any age group in the sport.

This growth explains why brands outside golf's usual advertiser pool want in now.

Willbo joined the lineup too, releasing an exclusive HAWK collection with Netflix that puts the show's characters on gear fans can buy.

Marketers eyeing a similar entertainment brand partnership can take a few things from how Netflix structured this one:

• Give each sponsor an angle that fits their identity: Genesis and Mike's Hard Lemonade get separate storylines, giving their respective partnerships distinction.
• Cast existing characters as the pitch: Using Golden Fisk and Lance Hawkins keeps both ads inside the show's canon instead of bolting a logo onto unrelated content.
• Push the bit past the screen: Retail branding, sweepstakes, and merch give fans a reason to engage after the spot ends.

Ultimately, the strongest part of this rollout is that neither brand had to soften its own identity to fit "The Hawk" world.

Our Take: Can Two Brands Crash the Same Movie?

We've seen plenty of shows lend their world to one sponsor.

It's rarer to watch a comedy hand its whole premise to two brands with nothing in common, then let them run separate bits inside it.

We think it works because nobody's fighting for the same punchline.

Mike's Hard Lemonade gets the villain, Genesis gets the getaway car, and each premise stays in its own lane.

Whether either brand still feels distinct once fans start swapping GIFs of Ferrell's fairway meltdowns is the part worth watching.

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