Jamie Foxx has an ace up his sleeve.
The actor, 55, returns to his own Ray roots in a brand new campaign for BetMGM, in which he wears a sleek black suit while playing the piano at the NoMad Library inside Park MGM Las Vegas.
Ahead of the start of the 2023 NFL season, PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at an ad for the sports betting app, which opens with Foxx declaring, “Oh, it’s going to be fun in here.”
“BetMGM has all the sports betting in one place — and it’s live, baby!” he adds, before a flurry of athletic activity erupts around him, shattering the calm, jazzy atmosphere.
After a demonstration of how the app works, Foxx says, “I got the best seat in the house with BetMGM.”
Geno Burmester, creative director at 72andSunny, tells PEOPLE that Foxx, who previously starred in campaigns for BetMGM, was “such a pleasure to work with” on the new ad, which shot in July.
“Jamie brought his charismatic energy to every shot during our busy shooting schedule,” says Burmester. “From the first minute on set, he was laughing and cracking jokes with the crew – not to mention it was actually him on the piano, tickling the ivories.”
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Jamie Foxx’s new campaign with BetMGM.
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Burmester also praises Foxx’s ability to bring “such range to the words on the page — with a mix of attention-grabbing and just the right amount of humor to elevate a creative.”
“He’s also always on, even when the camera is off, telling the crew some of the best stories you’ll ever hear and creating impressions that make you do a double take, they’re so spot on,” he adds. “He brings such energy to the creative and the recording in a way that only he could bring. We were lucky to work with him this year.”
The app’s chief revenue officer, Matt Prevost, says given its existence “at the intersection of sports and entertainment, … having someone like Jamie Foxx to tell the story of BetMGM is perfect for us to show how we bring our own exciting style to sports . – betting experience.”
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Jamie Foxx’s new campaign with BetMGM.
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“Jamie’s talent leaps across television and you can’t help but be mesmerized when he’s on screen making his way through the chaos of a football weekend,” continues Prevost.
The announcement comes four months after Foxx suffered a medical emergency in April while filming the Netflix movie Back in action. He talked about his recovery in a July video on Instagram, telling fans, “I’ve been to hell and back. And my road to recovery also had some potholes. But I’m coming back. And I can work.”
As for Foxx’s latest venture, “BetMGM wanted to double down on MGM Resorts’ larger-than-life entertainment spectacle and create something unique and exciting to watch during football season, and bring that live betting excitement to life,” says Burmester.
He adds: “BetMGM isn’t just another sports betting app. It’s where all the incredible excitement, style and fun of Vegas meets the world of sports betting.”
“We wanted the new campaign to reflect the betting experience at BetMGM, so we tried to bring as much fun, adrenaline and surprising action as possible to our sites,” he adds. “And our special sauce, as always, uses that unique magic and charisma that only Jamie can bring.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education