It's as if we're traveling back in time because Alicia Silverstone has decided to pick back up the mantel of Cher Horowitz for e-commerce company Rakuten in one of this year's Super Bowl commercials.
In her reprisal as Cher, Silverstone is seen walking to the front of a classroom to engage in a debate with frenemy Amber Mariens (Elisa Donovan). Then this new iteration of Cher goes into a spiel about the benefits of using Rakuten, which Amber rebuts with her classic "whatever" response. Take a look at the commercial below.
Now for those thinking they experienced a hint of déjà vu watching the Super Bowl ad, you wouldn’t be far from the truth. Not only did Rakuten revive the characters of Cher and Amber, but the company also placed its own unique spin on a scene from the actual 1995 film. Check out the original movie trailer to see what we mean.
With all of that said, allow us to point out that in the '90s, there weren't many coming-of-age movies more iconic than Clueless. The comedy follows the teenage hijinks of a group of Beverly Hills high school students who for all intents and purposes didn't have a clue about the real world of adulthood. From that one film, catchphrases like "as if" and "whatever" became the popular things to say.
Then there's the fashion. After the comedy premiered in theaters, countless teenagers flocked to stores to get a standard mini-skirt, sweater and blazer. Oh, and we can't forget, the plaid trend that was ignited. The Clueless looks would even be repeated in Britney Spears' music video for "Baby One More Time" and Iggy Azalea's video for "Fancy."
Besides its impact on culture, the film also greatly boosted the careers of the actors. Clueless was a springboard for Brittany Murphy (8 Mile), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Jeremy Sisto (FBI), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) and of course, Alicia Silverstone (Senior Year).
As we expect more commercials to air ahead of and during Sunday's big game, it was nice to see a nod to our cinematic past. We have to wonder, will nostalgia be a big theme of the commercials this year or can we expect more future-leaning and provocative clips?
The 2023 Super Bowl airs on Sunday, February 12 on FOX.
