National Geographic Channel’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial is here–and it’s genius. The commercial, which was created by McCann New York, will air right after Lady Gaga’s halftime show. The clip, which is part of a series aptly titled “Genius,” stars Geoffrey Rush as none other than Albert Einstein.
The series itself centers around “genius” innovators, with the first season featuring Einstein. Apparently, according to Adweek, Rush actually learned to play Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” on violin for the shoot. Um, not difficult at all. Courteney Monroe, the CEO of National Geographic Global Networks, explained how the song choice was purposeful:
“The song selection is a double entendre, actually. Not many people know that [Einstein] had a series of ‘bad romances’ in his life. You’ve only seen the crazy hair and learned about his intellectual advances.”
Of course, the video wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Einstein’s now iconic silly face.
So, what’s the purpose behind the series as a whole? According to National Geographic’s CMO Jill Cres, it’s to “understand the man behind the mind.”
As for why Einstein is playing a violin, Eric Silver, the North American COO for McCann, explained:
“I remembered a quote from Einstein’s second wife that he often played Mozart on his violin while brainstorming. The violin seemed an elegant way to bridge that period in time with Gaga today.”
Interesting fact about the Jewish scientist and father. Watch the video below:
https://youtu.be/3QO1LVh9O1I
