'Ted Lasso' Star Hannah Waddingham Raises Stakes in Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Hannah Waddingham is ready to make her Super Bowl Sunday debut. The Ted Lasso star will appear in a Rakuten commercial during Super Bowl LVI. The commercial can be seen online and includes a 30-second spot as well as a 60-second spot. This is Rakuten's first television ad during the Super Bowl.
The commercial is titled "High Stakes," and Waddingham plays a high-roller who takes part in a poker game. She goes up against a Rakuten shopper, and when Waddingham's character goes all-in, the customer tops her by betting all the Cash Back she earned with Rakuten. In the end, Waddingham's character leaves with nothing.
"I'm so grateful for the memorable experience of filming my first Super Bowl commercial with Rakuten, especially since it's their first Super Bowl ad," Waddingham said, per Yahoo. "Portraying a mischievous character allowed me to take on the kind of role I love to play – one with a bit of sass and a devious laugh. I also love that this spot shows everyone can feel like a winner when they shop with Rakuten. Who doesn't love the satisfaction of a good deal?"
The commercial was filmed at the Hatfield House near London. Last month a teaser video was unveiled that showed Waddingham's character rehearsing her laugh. "Hannah was the perfect antagonist for our story. She delivered an amazing performance that brought the character to life and set the stage we envisioned for our first-ever Super Bowl commercial," Dana Marineau, CMO of Rakuten Rewards, said. Developing a campaign of this scale and caliber for the Super Bowl is every brand marketer's dream, and I'm so proud of our in-house creative team for this amazing accomplishment. Everyone who sees it will identify with the rewarding feeling Rakuten members get when they earn Cash Back when shopping."
Waddingham, 47, plays Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso. She has played a big part in the show's success, winning an Emmy Award and a Critics Choice Award last year. Waddingham has also appeared in the TV shows Sex Education and Game of Thrones where she played Septa Unella. She is currently set to appear in the Dinsey+ film Hocus Pocus 2 that stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Katha Najimy.