Paris Hilton and Bretman Rock are the latest stars to front a Super Bowl commercial this year, ahead of the 2023 football game — and they’re doing it in true Y2K fashion.
In Klarna’s new “That’s Smooth” campaign, Hilton and Rock spotlight the early 2000s to show how shopping methods have changed in the last 23 years. One ad finds Hilton buying ice cream from Rock, while another finds the duo chatting on the phone, discussing Klarna’s payment methods — including in-app searches and flexible installment payments.
In both ads — titled “That’s Smooth” in homage to Hilton’s trademarked “That’s hot” catchphrase — Hilton wears a crystal-embellished green velour sweatsuit with white pumps. The style instantly harks back to the Juicy Couture sets she made famous in the original Y2K era. Rock, meanwhile, dons a white puff-sleeved blouse as an informative cashier in the first ad, while the second ad finds him in a business-worthy peach silk suit and gold butterfly wing-shaped post earrings.
As part of the campaign, Klarna has also launched its own “Global Y2K Trend Report” to explain how consumers relate to the early 2000s, which have been a top fashion trend throughout the 2020s so far. In the report, released to press, the app’s team found that 64% of people surveyed believe the 2000s to be a “cooler” time period. 27% of those surveyed felt nostalgic for shopping malls, with 17% mentioning shopping with their friends as a highlight from the era; many malls have since closed, though mall owner Simon revealed a 95% rise in occupancy in its 2022 report.
According to those surveyed, stars most associated with the Y2K era include Hilton herself, as well as Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston and Gwen Stefani. Indeed, Y2K products have certainly returned in recent years, particularly items including low-rise jeans and pants, crop tops and graphic T-shirts, trucker hats and butterfly clips from brands including Von Dutch, Betsey Johnson, Miaou and Diesel.
A model walks in Diesel’s spring 2023 fashion show during Milan Fashion Week in Sept. 2022. CREDIT: Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
The Super Bowl LVI will air on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. EST on Fox, with the Philadelphia Eagles facing the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The widely-anticipated football game will feature a halftime show performance by Rihanna, as well as a national anthem performance by Chris Stapleton. The event will include Sheryl Lee Ralph performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” as well as Babyface performing “America the Beautiful.”
PHOTOS: Discover musicians performing at the Super Bowl over the years in the gallery.
