Owen Wilson Has World Cup Goals in Telemundo Super Bowl Teaser

Telemundo is scoring big names for a big Super Bowl ad slot.

Today, Telemundo and Peacock released a teaser for an upcoming Super Bowl spot promoting its Spanish-language World Cup coverage. The 30-second ad showcases Owen Wilson, a real-life soccer fan, getting into Telemundo’s soccer coverage so much that he wants to learn Spanish ahead of the World Cup, which kicks off this summer in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

And to make sure he learns the language, he enlists expert help from a mystery star, who will be revealed in Telemundo’s 60-second Super Bowl spot, which will air after Bad Bunny’s halftime performance.

“We had a clear idea from the very beginning that it had to be a general market talent, and it had to be something related to the language. It had to be about inspiring or igniting that passion for watching the sport in Spanish,” Claudia Chagui, evp, marketing and creative at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, told ADWEEK.

Chagui noted that the creative, produced with Telemundo’s in-house marketing team, agency Red Bee, and Caviar, was always intended to be tailored to the company’s core audience while also appealing to non-Spanish-speaking viewers to get them excited about the World Cup.

And when it came to looking for stars who genuinely loved soccer, Owen Wilson topped the list, especially after the actor’s effusive story on Jimmy Kimmel Live about meeting Lionel Messi in person. It was a “no-brainer,” according to Chagui.

“When we saw that, we were like, it has to be Owen,” Chagui said. “It has to be Owen, because he gets it. He understands what this is about. He gets the Leo fever and what this means to Latinos in the community.”

The executive also noted that airing after Bad Bunny’s performance was perfect timing.

‘We couldn’t ask for a better platform. We know that every Latino in the U.S. is going to be tuning into this halftime show this year, and so what better opportunity and platform to put this in front of everyone?” Chagui said.

As for the mystery celebrity helping Wilson learn Spanish, viewers will have to tune in. However, Chagui said that, once the ad airs, Telemundo will have additional creative from the campaign ahead of the World Cup.

“I think the excitement that we have around this is really genuine, because we believe in it,” Chagui said. “We really believe that we can share a fantastic soccer journey with everyone in the U.S., and we really believe that the place to watch it and to experience it in the best fashion is on Telemundo and Peacock.”