U2 confirmed they’ll be taking up residency at the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas — with a timely Super Bowl 2023 commercial featuring spheres in the sky.
“An unidentified object has been spotted over the skies,” the ad proclaimed.
While the commercial is advertising “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere” — a series of concerts that marks the band’s first live shows in four years — many on social media were quick to point out the similarities to the Chinese spy balloon that has been making headlines.
“Did you guys make this commercial before last week?” one person asked.
“Read the room. All this UFO stuff and NOW you release this video?!” another said.
“Really surprised the government didn’t shoot this down,” a third person quipped.
Dozens of other social media pundits also chimed with their opinions about the buzzy ad.
“Crisis averted folks turns out it was just U2 doing promo for a concert,” one joked.
Another wisecracked: “Okay, that’s the best marketing I’ve ever seen, even fooled the military.”
The ad comes just over a week after the US Air Force plane blew an alleged Chinese spy balloon out of the sky off the coast of South Carolina.
There have been reports of similar spy balloons over the skies of Alaska and Canada in the days since.
The U2 residency will be a celebration of the 1991 album “Achtung Baby” — but drummer Larry Mullen Jr. will not be in attendance since he is still recovering from surgery.
Dutch drummer Bram van den Berg will fill in for him.