Jamie Foxxhas an ace up his sleeve.
The actor, 55, returns to hisRayroots in a brand-new campaign forBetMGM, in which he rocks a sleek black suit while playing the piano at NoMad Library inside the Park MGM Las Vegas.
Ahead of the 2023NFLseason kickoff, PEOPLE has an exclusivefirst look at the adfor the sports-betting app, which begins with Foxx declaring, “Oh, it’s about to be a party in here.”
After demonstrating how the app works, Foxx says, “With BetMGM, I got the best seat in the house.”
Geno Burmester, creative director at72andSunny, tells PEOPLE that Foxx, who has starred incampaigns for BetMGM before, was “such a joy to work with” on the new commercial, which was filmed in July.
“Jamie brought his charismatic energy to every take during our jam-packed shoot schedule,” Burmester says. “From minute one on set, he was laughing and cracking jokes with the crew — not to mention that was actually him on the piano, tickling the ivories.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Jamie Foxx’s new campaign with BetMGM.BetMGM/72andSunny
BetMGM/72andSunny
Burmester also praises Foxx’s ability to bring “such range to the words on the page — with a mix of attention-grabbing delivery and just the right amount of humor to elevate the creative.”
“He’s also always on, even when the camera’s off, telling the crew some of the best stories you’ve ever heard and doing impressions that make you do a double take, they’re so spot on,” he adds. “Hebrings such an energy to the creativeand the shoot in a way only he could bring. We were fortunate to work with him this year.”
The app’s chief revenue officer, Matt Prevost, says, given its existence “in the intersection of sports and entertainment, … having someone like Jamie Foxx tell the BetMGM story is perfect to showcase how we are bringing our own exciting style to the sports-betting experience.”
“Jamie’s talent jumps through the television, and you can’t help but be enthralled when he is on screen breaking through the clutter on a football weekend,” Prevost continues.
The ad comes four months after Foxxexperienced a medical emergencyin April, while filming theNetflixmovieBack in Action. He opened upabout his recovery in a July video on Instagram, telling fans, “I went to hell and back. And my road to recovery had some potholes as well. But I’m coming back. And I’m able to work.”
As for Foxx’s latest venture, “BetMGM wanted to double down on MGM Resorts’ larger-than-life entertainment spectacle and create something unique and exciting to watch during the football season, and bring that excitement of live betting to life,” Burmester says.
He adds, “BetMGM isn’t just another sports-betting app. It’s where all the larger-than-life excitement, style and entertainment of Vegas meets the sports-betting world.”
“We wanted the new campaign to reflect the experience of betting on BetMGM, so we tried to pump as much fun, adrenaline, and surprising action as we could into our spots,” he adds. “And our special sauce, as always, is tapping into that one-of-a-kind magic and charisma that only Jamie can bring.”
source: people.com
