US Bank Swings Into Golf Pop Culture With Happy Gilmore 2 Sponsorship

It seems like an incongruous final-round pairing at first blush: a bank with a history dating to Abraham Lincoln’s administration and a staid image tied to strategic financial planning finding a natural fit in Adam Sandler’s golf comedy universe.

But when U.S. Bank learned of the opportunity to be a sponsor in the movie Happy Gilmore 2, the 162-year-old financial institution jumped at the chance to reach younger audiences by embedding itself in a cultural institution – a long-awaited sequel overflowing with humor and nostalgia.

The movie makes its public debut July 25 on Netflix and U.S. Bank is integrated into the movie as presenting sponsor of the fictional “Tour Championship,” with its branding and logo prominently displayed on signage throughout the event. The U.S. Bank logo also appears on the bib of Happy Gilmore’s caddie, played by music superstar Bad Bunny.

“When we heard about this opportunity, we were like, `This is just perfect,’” Michael Lacorazza, chief marketing officer for U.S. Bank, said at the movie’s premiere in New York. “To be organically placed in the film as a fictional tour sponsor is really cool.”

While it’s the first Hollywood partnership for U.S. Bank, the integration builds on the company’s existing presence in the golf world. The bank has sponsored Collin Morikawa since 2021 and regularly buys commercial time for golf broadcasts on NBC and the Golf Channel. That real-world golf connection makes the fictional tournament sponsorship feel natural rather than forced.

It’s also a strategic move, not only harnessing golf’s expanding allure, but riding the nostalgic wave of Happy Gilmore’s return to connect with existing customers as well as new “young and midlife affluent audiences” who are passionate about entertainment, sports and culture.

The goal is to highlight U.S. Bank’s presence as a modern and innovative partner in its customers’ financial lives, and the collaboration extends beyond simply product placement. U.S. Bank worked directly with Happy Madison Productions and Netflix to create a 30-second commercial, “Happy as Usual,” that aligns the film with the bank’s brand message. The spot features cameos from brand ambassador Morikawa, veteran announcer Verne Lundquist (a scene-stealer in the new movie), and Lundquist’s broadcast sidekick in the movie, the fictional Jack Beard, who is played by producer Jack Giarraputo. The commercial was directed by Frank Coraci, the director of several other Sandler films, including “The Waterboy.”

“It wasn’t something that we planned on initially, but as we started thinking about it, what would make it more creative and authentic than to have the people who created the film be a part of the production team?” said Lacorazza. “When you get to work with that team and get access to intellectual property you didn’t have before, decisions get made more easily. And when you’re in it co-creating, there’s skin in the game for everybody.”

The national campaign is running on Netflix’s ad-supported plan as well as within the bank’s existing brand media buy across channels: NBC, ESPN, Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat.

Meanwhile, the heightened anticipation surrounding Sander’s return to one of his defining characters of the 1990s is evident in that Happy Gilmore 2’s trailer became the most-viewed in Netflix’s history. For U.S. Bank, the sequel is a cultural touchstone that promises to reach multiple generations simultaneously, embracing the irreverent humor Sandler’s films are known for while maintaining its core message of helping clients “power their potential” and find their “happy places.”

“It’s one of the things we loved about the opportunity,” said Lacorazza, “because you’ve got these OG fans that remember it from the 1990s and then you’ve got two generations after that that are going to get to experience it for the first time.”