After seeing him ride a motorcycle like a surfboard, is there anything Keanu Reeves can’t do?
Seriously, the world could be a lot more like Keanu Reeves, 53, and the latest bit of awesome from the John Wick star comes in Squarespace’s Super Bowl 52 commercial. The in-game commercial features Keanu — an actual Squarespace customer and co-founder of Arch Motorcycle — riding one of his own bikes down a dusty strip of desert road. Except, he’s not sitting on the bike: he’s surfing it as if he was Johnny Utah on the set of the original Point Break. As he’s pulling off this stunt — yes, he actually did it — the calm, cool and collective Keanu is reciting some self-help mantras.
Then, he flies off into space. Amazing. Yes, Keanu actually performed the stunt himself. Strings secured the actor while he was on an Arch motorcycle, one that was traveling at 50 MPH. The spot was expertly shot by Jonathan Glazer in Lancaster, California in Dec. 2017.
Earlier teasers for the ad saw Keanu be his own spiritual guide and the shorter version of the spot has him sitting by a fire in the desert night. “Everyone thinks making websites is impossible,” he says with a tear in his eye. “But they’re wrong. I know.” If that doesn’t inspire someone to get up and make the website they’ve always wanted, nothing will.
“There’s something about Squarespace that’s really accessible yet sophisticated,” said Reeves in a statement about the commercial. “The design and functionality share a similar ethos to Arch Motorcycle. When I was approached to make this commercial, we were already using the platform, which makes it a really organic fit.”
“When I found out that this Squarespace campaign would be for the Super Bowl, I got butterflies in my stomach,” Keanu added. “I love football, I love watching the Super Bowl, and I love the entertainment of the advertisements that are a part of the game and the experience. To have the opportunity to be a part of that with Squarespace is really exciting – plus, I was thrilled by the idea of surfing an Arch motorcycle in the desert.”
“Squarespace was created to empower individuals to realize their creative and entrepreneurial aspirations,” Anthony Casalena, Squarespace Founder and CEO, said. “Even in turbulent times, we’ve seen the persistence of the American entrepreneurial spirit, and are proud to have a small hand in making it easier for people to turn their dreams into reality. We hope that Keanu’s authentic Squarespace story inspires others to get out there and make it happen for themselves.”
Keanu, Gard Hollinger and the rest of the Arch team launched the American-made motorcycle company inspired by Reeves’ love for motorcycles. Squarespace worked with Arch Motorcycle to revamp its website with one of their stock templates, Camino. So, when viewing Keanu’s work, know that you can have a site just as fancy. As for surfing down the road on top of a motorcycle? Probably best to leave that for professionals like Keanu.
What do you think about Squarespace’s Super Bowl ad, HollywoodLifers?