From booking the M&M's commercial to the long drive from LA to State Farm Stadium— this is my experience with Super Bowl LVII.
By Kaehla Maurer
A cornhole bag whizzed past our faces as we walked through a crowded lawn to the merch tent, blissfully unaware. It wasn't hard, but my cousin had convinced me to cut town after work on Saturday afternoon, to reward myself for booking an M&M's commercial and party at the highest profile Super Bowl events.
We dodged the last lawn game in time for the Chiefs to score, fire bursting from the stage underneath the giant tv screen. Premiums from corporate vendors spilling out of our hands as we tried to save our cocktails from the same fate. We had arrived.
With every moment we snaked through the merch line, imposter syndrome slithered in as we counted the commercials. What if I didn't make the final cut? I could have messed up every take I filmed.
"Don't think like that; you will be in the commercial," Nikka reassured me as I accidentally vocalized my doubt. Right on time, a facetime call from my boyfriend, Parker, came in.
"I just saw you on TV!" he exclaimed. I started screaming in line, ecstatic. In shock, I explained
how our view to the tv was temporarily blocked by the merch truck and I must have missed the commercial right as I was talking to Nikka. Then a call came from my mom. Then aunt. Then grandma.
I couldn't hide my joy as I reached the front of the line. The merch salesman shared my excitedmebt, perhaps lending to my splurge of a purchase, an official Super Bowl letterman jacket. I wore the jacket with pride the rest of the night, like my own trophy of achievement.
All the photos were blurry from excitement. No regrets.
So... How did I get to work with Maya Rudolph on M&M's Super Bowl commercial?
Link to commercial: https://youtu.be/kV2ARgWiGok
What's that quote from Peter Pan? A pinch of luck and pixie dust? Whatever, you get it... the point is, that's what the whole experience felt like.
2017-2018: I fell into improv comedy and music in Orlando, FL. then signed with agency Professionally Pretty.
Late 2022: they submitted me for a role specific to choir singers with improv comedy skills. Talk about a literal manifestation moment.
It was my first in-person audition since the pandemic, so YEAH, I was nervous. But luckily choir singing is something that gets me out of my head... I can just focus on my breath, and the emotions in the song.
Plus, the energy in the Mel and Liz Casting office was inviting. I had fun doing my job, left and went about my life.
Call back.
The atmosphere in the callback was EVEN MORE inviting, this time including director/former SNL writer, Matt Piedmont. I had fun doing my job, left and went about my life.
First right of refusal. Booked.
The fitting, the shoot, and reliving it at the Super Bowl were surreal moments (probably because my acting brain took me into a magic land of candy-coated clams).
I'm stoked to keep learning and growing with my team. What kind of commercial do you think I will do next? I supposed the world is my candy-coated clam.
Cheers,
Kaehla
PS: People have been asking if I was really on set with Maya Rudolph. I should have come up with an elaborate story about why she would need to be green screened into the commercial, like the candy spokespeople were. But yes, we did work with her.
Kaehla Maurer is a SAG-E actress and co-founder of Are We Having Fun LLC (AWHF Media).
We're currently producing short films - support by shopping our merch at https://www.awhfmedia.com/shop.
Follow: Kaehla @kaehlamaurer // AWHF Media @awhfmedia
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