Einstein plays Lady Gaga in NatGeo's first Super Bowl ad
This piece originally appeared on EW.com
In addition to discovering the theory of Relativity, old Albert can play a wicked cover of “Bad Romance.”
See above the first-ever Super Bowl ad from the National Geographic cable network, which is promoting Genius, its upcoming scripted series chronicling how Albert Einstein went from a young rebellious patent clerk to become the greatest scientific mind of the 20th century.
The series stars Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Carribean, Shine) as Einstein and Emily Watson (Theory of Everything) as Elsa Einstein.
The use of Lady Gaga in the Super Bowl ad was not only a stroke of marketing genius as the spot airs right after the singer’s halftime performance, but also ties into the show’s highlighting of Einstein’s “little-known lothario ways,” the network says. “It’s a simple and engaging commercial that not only tapes into the zeitgeist of Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance, but also perfectly represents the surprising side of Einstein the series captures,” NatGeo CEO Courteney Monroe explains. “We hope it will cut through the noise, force viewers to take notice and give this broader audience a glimpse into the National Geographic brand of premium content.”
It’s no surprise NatGeo is doing an unprecedented marketing push for the project given its A-list auspices. Not only is the cast known from feature films, but the premiere is directed by executive producer Ron Howard in his first prime-time TV directing gig. The first season is based on Walter Isaacson’s acclaimed book Einstein: His Life and Universe.
Genius premieres Tuesday, April 25. Above is the official trailer for the series.
