Today, Groupon released its Super Bowl commercial starring Tiffany Haddish as their new spokesperson. Initially, this may not seem like a huge deal to you, but trust me, it is to Tiffany. The Girls Trip star has had an extensive history of brand loyalty with the money-saving website, including appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live to recount a hilarious experience with a swamp tour deal she bought on Groupon. Well, they say everything happens for a reason, and today, Groupon is wearing Haddish’s brand loyalty on their sleeve. In the ad for the Big Game, the actress looks us dead in the eye and caustically asks, “What kind of person wouldn’t want to support local business?” Tiffany definitely isn’t that kind of person, and the brand bragged on their website that she’s a “verified super user” in the top 1 percent of Groupon Customers. Personally, I’m impressed. Here’s how Tiffany landed this major deal.
Tiffany and Groupon’s love affair started in 2013 when she signed up for its service. In July of last year, the writer and comedian appeared on Kimmel to promote Girls Trip, the outrageously funny movie that launched her career. On the show, Haddish told the host a story in which she duped Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith into accompanying her on a Groupon swamp tour. In the spectacular clip, which I highly recommend watching in full, Haddish recounts that Jada asked her to hang out on one of their days off while filming Girls Trip in New Orleans. Tiffany, who played Dina in the film, had already bought a discounted Groupon ticket for a swamp tour of the New Orleans everglades. Jada, who has been lost in the mystical land of Being Rich for decades, completely misunderstood Haddish. Not only had Jada never heard of Groupon, but she mistakenly thought that Haddish suggested they take a group on a swamp tour—like on a private boat. Ultimately, Will and Jada ended up on a Groupon swamp tour with hoards of tourists freaking out and seeking selfies on a crowded airboat.
Haddish’s story was so wild that the YouTube clip quickly went viral. Eventually, Groupon took notice. On January 15, it was announced that Tiffany Haddish would be starring in a series of Groupon ads, one of which will air during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. This is a big deal for the brand too, as it hasn’t aired a Super Bowl commercial in seven years.
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So, did she manifest all this, or does Tiffany actually have a cunning and prolific business mind? My bet is on the latter: In her official announcement of the brand partnership, she insisted, “Nobody knows Groupon like I know Groupon,” and in a second promotional video, the actress added, “I should have already been their spokesperson. I’ve invested lots of money into buying Groupon deals, and it’s about time I got an even bigger return on my investment.” I see you, Tiffany. I see you.
The first ad that starred Tiffany as the official spokesperson aired last Sunday, and featured a relaxed and smug Haddish getting pampered, tapping away at new deals on her phone and quipping, “Bout to get wrapped in mud next.”
I’ll watch the always-hilarious Tiffany Haddish do anything. If the commercial just showed 30 seconds of silence and Tiffany getting prodded with mud, I’d still be down. It’s incredible to see Tiffany finally getting what she deserves and being embraced by fans—both socially and financially. Plus, it’s phenomenal to see a woman of color as the face of this massive brand (and a Super Bowl commercial, nonetheless). Tiffany has been breaking down barriers since she burst into Hollywood last year, and she shows no signs of slowing. In November of 2017, she became the first black female stand-up comic to host Saturday Night Live. Now, she’s shrewdly reaping the benefits of brand loyalty.
If you want a piece of the pie—and a stellar example of cross-promotional marketing—there’s a 12 percent-off Groupon deal on Tiffany’s first book, The Last Black Unicorn. Do the right thing.