Christopher Walken's Super Bowl 2024 Ad For BMW Features This Halftime Show Performer
The Super Bowl is packed with commercials for new cars. With its 60-second ad "Talkin Like Walken" for the BMW i5 series electric sedan, BMW is no exception.
The German car manufacturer went for comedy over substance with its commercial. Because of that, the specifications of the new electric series weren't on display. But we got to drive the new i5 series last year and even the prototype before that, so we know what it has to offer.
One thing that we could instantly tell was that the new series 5 got a facelift, with a new front and rear. It's also larger. The i5 is wider and longer and has a 0.8-inch longer wheelbase, making it taller.
Consumers can choose between two i5s. Both vehicles are equipped with an 81.2-kilowatt lithium-ion battery but have different ranges. The battery can be recharged using DC fast-charge at speeds up to 205 kW. Some features the i5 series offers that weren't mentioned in the ad are a new infotainment system and an automatic hands-free lane change system with gesture-based activation.
The rear-wheel-drive single-motor eDrive40 starts at $66,800. This variant pumps out 334 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, achieving 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. The eDrive40 has the most range between the two at 240 to 256 miles.
The M60 is for those who want more performance. It's all-wheel drive with a dual-motor configuration, giving it 593 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque. With its supped-up configuration, the M60 can go 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. All of this comes at a price, though. The M60 starts at $84,100. So, here's what happens in the ad.
Everyone is Talkin' Like Walken
BMW's ad opens with Walken walking out of a building to get into his silver BMW i5 M60. After being complimented on the car by the valet, he said ”It's the real deal, 100% electric." The valet then repeats back what Walken said while imitating the actor's iconic voice. Throughout the commercial, a coffee barista, a dog walker, his stylist, and his makeup artist all take a shot at imitating him when approached by the actor.
During the ad's climax, the actor is taken to a table in a restaurant while the host imitates him. After he gets seated, he looks at the table across from himself and sees Usher. Walken says, "Don't you got somewhere to be," reminding him that he has a Super Bowl halftime show to perform. Usher then gets up and walks out of the restaurant, but not before busting a dance move.
As Walken drives away in his i5, the announcer says, "There's only one Christopher Walken and only one Ultimate Driving Machine." The commercial pokes fun at how many imitators Walken, something BMW believes it has in common.