It’s raining mics, hallelujah, in Lincoln’s latest ad campaign for the all-new 2025 Navigator. The mic-dropping is being led by one of the greatest droppers of mics in history, tennis superstar Serena Williams, who says her greatest mic drop moment was when she won a Grand Slam pregnant and never dropped a set.
The new ad is a clever, if not literal, visualization of the concept of a mic drop, with microphones falling from the sky like rain. The ultimate alpha move, according to the ad, is stepping into a 2025 Lincoln Navigator, which Williams does at the very end, pulling away while crushing a mic beneath her tire.
Where’d McConaughey Go?
If you’re wondering why the new Navigator isn’t being represented by one Matthew David McConaughey, you’re not alone. The Oscar-winning actor grabbed attention when he began appearing in ads for Lincoln back in 2014. The idea for the partnership came from Lincoln’s ad agency, Hudson Rouge, which claims the automaker saw its sales increase 13 percent on the back of its celebrity-driven ad campaign. McConaughey’s Lincoln ads were even spoofed on Saturday Night Live and appeared on Jeopardy as a clue, which is the kind of earned media that ad agencies kill for.
We’re not sure if Lincoln will be able to capture lightning in a bottle again like it did with McConaughey, though Serena Williams is an excellent choice in her own right. Her appeal to both young people and women, two groups which Lincoln needs to expand sales beyond its current clientele, is undeniable. The brand has worked with other celebrities in the past, including John Slattery in 2010 and Grammy-nominated musician Jon Batiste more recently.
Serena has actually appeared in Lincoln ads before. She found herself in the very same position seven years ago in an ad campaign for the then-all-new 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Lincoln must’ve been happy with her work to return to the same playbook.
TopSpeed’s Take
As awesome as Serena is, it will be difficult for her to hit an ace for Lincoln like McConaughey did. Who knows how many times that sort of ad campaign comes along in a brand’s lifetime, but it seems too soon for Lincoln to have another.
And remember, McConaughey was ascendent back in 2014, having just won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club and earning universal praise for his work in True Detective. Plus, as much as our culture loves athletes, we venerate celebrities, particularly actors, even more.
That said, we wish Lincoln luck with the all-new 2025 Navigator. The SUV’s design is head-turning, both inside and out, and it’s loaded with all the latest technology you’d expect to find in a vehicle with a starting price of $99,995.
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