Honestly, the Super Bowl commercial break is usually a graveyard of over-produced nonsense. You know the drill: big budgets, flashy CGI, and celebrities who look like they’d rather be anywhere else. But every once in a while, a brand hits the sweet spot. In 2024, Uber Eats basically won the internet by leaning into a moment that was already a massive meme. I’m talking about the david beckham super bowl ad—the one where Posh and Becks basically roasted their own lives for our entertainment.
It wasn't just a commercial. It was a masterclass in self-deprecation.
The Rolls-Royce of Trolls
If you missed the context, you've gotta go back to the Beckham documentary on Netflix. There’s this iconic scene where Victoria is trying to tell the camera she grew up "working class." David, ever the instigator, pokes his head through a door and tells her to "be honest."
The truth? Her dad drove her to school in a Rolls-Royce.
Fast forward to the Super Bowl lead-up. Uber Eats took that exact setup—the door, the deadpan delivery, the "be honest" line—and flipped it. In the teaser, Victoria is wearing a white T-shirt that literally says, "My Dad Had a Rolls-Royce." It was meta, it was cheeky, and it felt remarkably human for a couple that often feels like they live on a different planet.
What Actually Happened in the Full Spot?
The teaser was just the appetizer. When the actual david beckham super bowl ad aired during the "big baseball game" (as Victoria jokingly called it in the promos), it expanded into a larger theme about memory.
The premise was simple: to remember that Uber Eats delivers almost anything, you have to forget something else.
In the Beckham's segment, they couldn't quite put their finger on the name of Victoria's old band. You know, the one that defined an entire decade of pop culture?
- "Remember when you used to be a pepper lady?" David asks.
- "Wasn’t it the Cinnamon Sisters?" Victoria suggests.
- "Basil Babes?"
- "Paprika Girls?"
Watching two of the most famous people on earth pretend they’ve never heard of the Spice Girls is inherently funny. It works because we know they know. It’s that wink to the audience that makes a celebrity endorsement feel less like a paycheck and more like a shared joke.
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Why This Ad Actually Ranks Top Tier
Look, Uber Eats spent a fortune on this. They didn’t just get the Beckhams; they had a Friends reunion with Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer (where Jen "forgets" who David is), plus Jelly Roll and Usher.
But the Beckham bit felt different.
It felt authentic because it tapped into a real-time cultural conversation. The Netflix doc was fresh in everyone's minds. By the time the Super Bowl rolled around, the "be honest" meme had been remixed a thousand times on TikTok. Uber Eats just gave the people what they wanted: more of the Beckhams being "normal" (well, as normal as you can be with a fashion empire and a soccer club).
The Controversy You Might Have Forgotten
It wasn't all "Basil Babes" and laughs, though. The original cut of the commercial featured a bit where a guy forgot that peanut butter contains... well, peanuts.
The food allergy community wasn't laughing.
Groups like FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) spoke up fast. They pointed out that for 33 million Americans, forgetting an allergy isn't a "funny" memory lapse—it's a life-or-death emergency. To their credit, Uber Eats didn't dig their heels in. They edited the ad before the game to remove the peanut allergy joke. It was a rare moment where a brand actually listened to feedback in real-time and pivoted without a massive PR meltdown.
The Lasting Impact of Brand Beckham
What can we actually learn from this?
First off, "Brand Beckham" is bulletproof. They’ve moved past being just an athlete and a pop star. They are now professional "themselves." They understand that in 2026, the best way to stay relevant isn't to be perfect—it's to be "kinda" in on the joke.
Secondly, nostalgia is the strongest currency in advertising. Whether it’s the Spice Girls or Friends, we are suckers for the things that made us happy twenty years ago. Uber Eats just figured out how to package that nostalgia with a side of groceries.
Moving Forward: How to Apply the Beckham Strategy
If you're a creator or a business owner, you don't need a Super Bowl budget to use these tactics. It’s basically about:
- Leaning into your flaws: The Beckhams didn't hide the Rolls-Royce story; they monetized it.
- Speed to market: They jumped on the "be honest" meme while it was still hot.
- Self-awareness: If you can’t laugh at yourself, the internet will definitely do it for you.
Next time you're watching a "big baseball game" or whatever sport happens to be on, look for the ads that don't take themselves too seriously. Those are the ones that actually stick in your brain—long after you've forgotten what you were supposed to remember.
Your next move? Go back and watch the original "be honest" clip from the documentary, then watch the ad again. You'll see exactly how they matched the lighting, the framing, and even the "annoyed but loving" vibe between the two. It’s a masterclass in how to do a parody right.