As if Alicia Silverstone would be caught in anything less than her iconic Clueless plaid for new Super Bowl commercial
The famous yellow suit got a 2023 makeover courtesy of designer Christian Siriano for Silverstone's new Rakuten ad
Aux News Alicia Silverstone
No hate to either the Chiefs or the Eagles, but if you’re anything like us here at The A.V. Club, watching a full night of wonderful (or deeply cringy) celebrity commercial cameos is, well, your Super Bowl.
This year’s big game is already off to a promising start with early yardage on the trailer front, including promised appearances by DC’s The Flash, Marvel’s Quantumania, Scream 6 and more. Now, “actors reprising iconic and beloved roles for 90 seconds or less all so they can sell us god knows what” is entering the fray with a stunning play by e-commerce brand Rakuten and their star quarterback Alicia Silverstone, who looks as comfortable in yellow plaid as ever.
Rakuten (which gives users cash back on various purchases) doesn’t exactly promise two for the price of one deals, but that’s what they’re giving us in this ad which features not only Silverstone reprising her Clueless role as Cher Horowitz, but also Elisa Donovan as frenemy and debate opponent Amber Mariens.
“I used to be pretty Clueless about shopping,” Silverstone opens, before extolling the virtues of Rakuten in a variety of classic Cher settings, including her (still unbelievably enviable) rotating closet, failed driving test, and of course, high school debate room, complete with a fluffy pen and chewing gum pull.
Designer Christian Siriano, a close personal friend of Silverstone’s, also makes an appearance in the ad. He took on the challenging task of updating the plaid separates for 2023, which he described as his “dream project” on Instagram (via Page Six).
“I think we were really riding a fine line,” Silverstone said of the (honestly very subtle) updates in a recent New York Times interview. “Because everyone wants it to be this elevated, sophisticated, adult version—but then also, everyone’s totally obsessed with it staying the same.”
Now, all we need is for Clueless beau Paul Rudd to jump out of his own Quantumania commercial and into this one. If the multiverse can’t reunite Cher and Josh, what has it all been for?
31 Comments
I remember in the mid 90s my family would go to six flags every summer. It was like a 2 hour drive there and back. My aunt had one of those big vans that have a tv, nintendo, vcr, etc.On the drive home we would always watch a tape of Clueless. Always.
…and then one time, ‘kay see, one time, Tim Allen was in the back of my aunt’s van.
I kept shouting “IT’S NOT TOOL TIME!”
But they would not listen.
Binford Tools raped me.
Fortunately it just flashed me. Still no fun.
May we see the receipt?
I have an impeccable source: just trust me brah
My favorite Rakuten ad was the one where people struggled to pronounce the name, which of course forces one to wonder why the fuck they named it that in the first place, inevitably drawing the conclusion that it’s run by a bunch of morons.The concept already sounded scammy as fuck, so they ad actively pushed me away from trying the product. Great job, Rakuten!
Remember last year when Larry David did all of those Crypto currency ads?
no
I’d love to see Matt Damon do a “fortune favors the prudent” ad for a wealth management group or something.
Actually, Rakuten has been around for years after it bought EBates, which had been around for years before that. I’ve been using them well over 20 years. I’ve gotten back quite a bit of money when I buy on eBay and other sites. Each transaction isn’t much, but it adds up. Depending on the site, you get a certain % of cash back. When you hit $5, you can get a check or plopped into your Paypal account. It’s not a scam.
“why the fuck they named it that in the first place”Because of optimism!No, really. 楽天市場 means “Optimism Mall”. It’s a Japanese company.
Why in the world is the AV Club publishing write-ups of random commercials these days?Oh, right.
Well, it’s a Super Bowl ad. I expect entertainment sites to cover those. Especially the music/tv/movie adjacent ones.
And Alicia Silverstone was in Aerosmith videos, so it makes total sense!
That disclaimer doesn’t even refer to an article ABOUT a TV commercial though… It refers to the partner links.
Normally I’d agree with you, but I think I’m with browza on this one.
SuperBowl ads kinda lose their impact when they’re released weeks early.I guess it’s a tradeoff with the free pub they get beforehand, but it doesn’t make sense for people to watch the SuperBowl for the ads anymore, since you can just watch them online beforehand.
Seriously, drop them the moment they’ve aired. People who missed or caught only part of them will immediately go look it up. That’s how advertising’s supposed to work, create a subsequent action and ongoing discussion. Now I’ve seen it on AV Club and won’t pay a bit of attention later.
I wonder what would’ve happened if the “Whassup?” ads were released early.Would it have become the massive meme it did?Or the frogs?
It would have taken another week off my life.
I think it’s a hedging their bets kind of move. If the commercial gets lost among all the other commercials it’s quickly forgotten. But by timing its release this way, they’re able to get at least some buzz, even if it means that if it hits, the reaction to it won’t be as strong on the day of the game itself.
I’ve been seeing it for a couple of weeks in ads that play in Tri-Peaks Solitaire.
you know that thing you liked? well it’s back as a super bowl commercial!!!
Alf’s in a Super Bowl commercial?!
wouldn’t be his first
HAH!
And this is when I remembered Stacey Dash and realized even her career as a right wing grifter has completely dried up.
My abiding policy is that any company that can afford to buy a Superbowl ad has more money than it needs, and does not need mine.