Although it’s been 45 years since John Travolta first showed off his Danny Zuko moves in Grease, he’s still got it all this time later. The 68-year-old actor proves it during one of 2023’s Super Bowl ads which includes him singing a new rendition of “Summer Nights” alongside Scrubs’ Zach Braff and Donald Faison, because why not?
In a big-budget commercial for T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service, John Travolta references Grease in a big way by singing one of its classic songs. However, he’s not talking about a summer fling this time around. Check it:
The commercial has John Travolta ranting about how much of a pain it can be to set up home internet when moving into a new home to the tune of “Summer Nights” before real-life best friend duo Zach Braff and Donald Faison jump in to tell him about the T-Mobile service. It’s an unlikely trio, but they are all so lovable the mashup somehow works. Plus, it’s really nostalgic to see a present-day Travolta singing “Summer Nights.”
Travolta recreates iconic moves from the 1978 movie throughout the minute-long commercial before hitting the high note in the song and putting his hand up just as he did during the high-school set musical. The commercial joins other early drops of Super Bowl ads this year, such as one with Top Gun: Maverick’s Miles Teller dancing with his dog for Bud Light and Anna Faris going nearly nude for an avocado commercial.
Grease (1978)
John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John’s iconic performance of “Summer Nights” in Grease, can be relived now with a Paramount+ subscription.
It’s no secret Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day of the year for advertising, and companies always spend the big bucks on their ads, often enlisting big celebrities to appear. John Travolta going full Grease for this Super Bowl ad feels like a classic move, and it will surely get people talking about his classic movie. While this is fun to see ahead of the game, we’re certainly curious why companies have been soft launching their ads ahead of the big night, because now having seen the ad, we won’t be as surprised when Travolta sings on the commercial break.
Across the 45 years Grease has been a famous movie, not everyone gets the hype, but you can’t ignore how iconic John Travolta’s Danny Zuko still is. And, perhaps if it wasn’t for Olivia Newton-John tragically passing in August after a battle with metastatic breast cancer, Danny and Sandy could have reunited for a commercial and Grease tribute.
You can catch the commercial during Super Bowl LVII, airing on Fox this Sunday, February 12 from Glendale, Arizona where the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will play against one another and Rihanna will perform at the halftime show. Chris Stapleton is set to sing the national anthem, and there will surely be so many more big commercials worth seeing between the game.