Matthew McConaughey stars in Uber Eats’ NFL ad

Food is an important part of any gameday celebration, but Matthew McConaughey has a theory about how deep that connection goes in an ad kicking off Uber Eats’ NFL campaign.

The commercial, created by agency Special US and debuting tonight on Thursday Night Football, features McConaughey with a football in hand sharing a couch with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who asks, “Why am I still hungry?” while nibbling on fries.

McConaughey, who is known for unraveling thorny mysteries in his starring role on the HBO series True Detective, explains that football is an elaborate scheme to get people to buy more food.

As evidence, he lists some sports terms that are also related to dishes, such as turnovers, pancake blocks and scrambles, along with the presence of food in the names of players and coaches like CJ Ham and Jerod Mayo. McCaffrey remains doubtful, although some definitive proof is provided by former 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, who sits down with a container of fried rice.

Uber Eats, the official delivery partner of the NFL, will continue its “Football is for Food” campaign throughout the season with more spots and a game day hub with thousands of deals.

“Everyone knows that football was invented for eating,” Uber North America chief marketing officer Georgie Jeffreys told ADWEEK. “Our new creative is a playful take on this silly theory and brings to life how we connect fans with their gameday go-tos, all within our app. Matthew McConaughey, a huge football fan, was the perfect person to create this web of connections.”

Uber Eats’ focus on football runs deep, with the brand having shown Super Bowl commercials for the past four years. The ads typically combine quirky humor with major celebrities, with the Super Bowl 58 spot featuring Jennifer Anniston, David Schwimmer, David and Victoria Beckham and Usher all forgetting parts of their identities.

CREDITS

Uber eats
Vice President, Global Marketing: David Mogensen
Global Executive Creative Director: Danielle Hawley
Head of Marketing, North America: Georgie Jeffreys
Head of Integrated Marketing Campaigns, North America: Liza Keller
Global Creative Direction: Ecole Weinstein
Senior Integrated Marketing Manager: Meg Fortier
Senior Marketing Manager: Stephanie Laurin
Social and Digital Marketing Leader: Kaitlyn Mendoza
Senior Communications Manager: Lexi Levin Mitchel
Associate Creative Director: Tom Kropp
Associate Creative Director: Jordan Rich
Head of Marketing of Global Brand Partnerships: Molly Spychalski
Senior Brand Partnership Manager: Kim Guluk
Senior Partnership Manager: Michael McAndrew
Head of Organic Social: Suzanne Lindbergh