Finally, someone has paid Seal enough money for him to become a literal seal. In a wink to longtime memes, he transforms into the marine mammal in a Super Bowl commercial for Mountain Dew Baja Blast.
Directed by Taika Waititi, the ad opens in the kitchen of singer Becky G, who takes a sip of Mountain Dew. Then, she’s teleported to a boat overlooking Seal and a bunch of other singing seals, who perform a parody version of his signature hit, “Kiss from a Rose.”
Titled “Kiss from a Lime,” it nods to the absurd visual with lyrics like, “Ooh, the more I think of it/ It’s strange I’m a seal, yeah/ My flippers can’t hold Mountain Dew/ It slips right on through, what a shame.”
By the end of the commercial, however, Seal goes back to human form to nonchalantly chill with Becky G on her boat. A 30-second cut of the ad will air during the Super Bowl on February 9th, but you can watch the full clip below.
In an interview with TODAY.com, Seal acknowledged he wanted to lean into longtime memes. “I did have to laugh because it was done in, kind of in good humor,” he said. “There are aspects and parts of my life that are really serious, that require focus and responsibility and accountability… And so, anytime I get a chance to laugh and make fun of myself with a meme that was with my head on a seal, I mean, it’s hilarious and it’s a good antidote of relief to the seriousness of life.”
He also praised Waititi’s work, saying, “I love his work, and I love him as a person… I got to work with him, that was fun. And he really took care of me, which is a big thing. It was just a professional cast.”