Clay Matthews now seems made of clay, and that is the point.
In a makeover mashup of Caesars Sportsbook and the retired NFL linebacker, the Vegas-based gaming company has launched an advertising campaign titled “We’ve Had Some Work Done.”
The spots have debuted on social media, featuring Matthews, who appears noticeably (and, face it, weirdly) different from his playing days.
This follows “having some work done,” a reference to the new marketing campaign. Matthews’ appearance seems as if it could be AI-generated. But a Caesars rep confirms the work is all done through “movie magic,” with well-placed prosthetics and makeup, and old-fashioned talent, time and effort from makeup artists from Legacy Effects.
That’s the company that does all the prosthetics work for the “Marvel” film franchises. The result is super-heroic.
Even before the campaign was announced, Matthews had draws coverage and gawks across social media. His face resembles the “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear. His calves are now (to borrow a phrase from David Letterman) the size of canned hams.
The company said in a news release Wednesday that “Matthews proudly embraces a dramatically enhanced new look inspired by today’s makeover and ‘looksmaxxing’ trends while showcasing a Caesars Sportsbook app that has gone through a transformation of its own.”
Matthews played for the Packers and Rams in an 11-year career ending in 2019. He was a member of the Packers team that won Super Bowl XLV in 2011. He was named to six Pro Bowls.
Matthews was known as “The Claymaker” in his playing days, a play on “playmaker.” He was a force on the field, and a forceful spokesman off it.
“I’ve done a lot of things throughout my career, but this was definitely a first,” Matthews said in a statement. “The second I heard the idea, I was in. The makeup, the prosthetics, the whole concept was completely over the top, and we had a lot of fun bringing it to life.”
The spots center on Matthews’ massive makeover to indicate the advances in the Caesars Sportsbook app over the past few years. There are more ways to bet, with “expanded wagering markets and innovative features like Flex Parlays and the Squad Builder in-app game,” says the company.
“We’ve spent the last several years making significant investments in the overall Caesars Sportsbook app experience,” Caesars Digital President Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital. “A lot of bettors may remember an earlier version of the app. Football season felt like the perfect opportunity to showcase the quality of the experience today and the innovations we’ve introduced for sports fans.”
And it should be noted, fans of heroic enhancement.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.