Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Zeus in new BMW Super Bowl ad set in Palm Springs
Zeus, otherwise known as god of the sky, has moved down to Palm Springs after retiring from his job in Mount Olympus, according to a new BMW Super Bowl commercial.
The advertisement features Zeus, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, dissatisfied with his life in Palm Springs. He’s seen struggling to use a microwave and using his power of throwing lightning bolts to charge items like electric hedge trimmers for his neighbor. He even causes a power outage in his new city, after getting frustrated with fixing the lights in his mid-century modern home.
But things start to look up when his wife Hera, played by Salma Hayek Pinault, gifts him an electric BMW iX. The new car reenergizes Zeus and the commercial closes with the couple enjoying a drive down Palm Canyon in downtown Palm Springs.
“The humor lies in this legendary god of lightning, who is supposed to be indestructible, battling with everyday electronics,” Schwarzenegger said in a BMW press release. “It is only when his brilliant wife presents him with the gift of an all-electric BMW iX that Zeus is struck with the mighty power of electricity and is completely rejuvenated.”
Schwarzenegger, arguably best known for his starring role in "The Terminator," is also a former California governor who won in a recall election in 2003. He was in office until 2011.
The 60-second commercial, directed by Bryan Buckley, will air during the third ad break of the Super Bowl’s first quarter, according to the press release. BMW’s last Super Bowl commercial was in 2015, with actors Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel.
Joyce Kiehl, director of communications for Visit Greater Palm Springs, the region's coordinating agency for tourism and marketing, said it was not involved with the commercial.
Although it looks like the quintessential Palm Springs commercial, most of it was actually filmed in Los Angeles with a green screen, according to independent location manager and scout Aric Bednarik. Schwarzenegger and Hayek Pinault were not able to make it to the city due to availability issues.
"If we could have, we would have done it all there," Bednarik said.
For portions of the commercial that were filmed in Palm Springs, the shoot took place the day after the Festival of Lights parade, which was on Dec. 4. Capturing scenes of downtown Palm Springs began around 6:30 a.m. and lasted for about two hours. The Palm Springs Police Department provided intermittent traffic control to capture scenes of the two Greek gods cruising down Palm Canyon Drive, Bednarik said. Traffic would be paused for about two minutes as the car drove by a traffic light.
In one scene where Zeus and Hera are golfing, a portion was filmed at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort.
"The golf course was important to have in there because it epitomizes Palm Springs," Bednarik said. "The most important thing was really the main street. There's not really anything you could do with that that doesn't say this is Palm Springs."
And for those hoping to see more shenanigans that the Greek gods get up to, a two-minute extended version will be released online Sunday after the commercial airs, Bednarik said.
Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.