'Hold My Beer.' Charlize Theron Kicks Ass in Bud's Oscars Ad for Reserve Copper Lager

Those who felt that Charlize Theron walking naked out of a pool for Dior wasn’t the ideal image of female empowerment might find comfort in Budweiser’s Oscars spot, which is quite un-Dior-like in its portrayal of the Oscar winner. 

The 60-second ad, created by Vayner Media, rolled out online Tuesday. It shows Theron, 43, sitting quietly alone at a low-key bar—when she suddenly hears some macho yelling from a dude at the pool table. 

Her competitive side having been tweaked, she strolls over—Reserve Copper Lager in hand—to take care of business. “Hold my beer,” she tells a bystander, before thinking better of it and hanging on to the brew. 

She puts Run-D.M.C’s “Tricky” on the jukebox and proceeds to kick ass at pool, darts, boxing and arm wrestling—doing much of it one-handed, as she won’t give up her precious Bud. 

The vision is probably as clichéd, in its own way, as Dior—but at least it’s fun and doesn’t have the fashion film’s weird golden-goddess baggage. It also fits better with Theron’s kick-ass on-screen characters, particularly lately, in films like Mad Max: Fury Road, The Fate of the Furious and Atomic Blonde. 

Bud’s limited-edition Reserve Copper Lager, co-branded with Jim Beam (on whose bourbon barrel staves it is aged), launched last August. The Theron spot was considered for a spot on the Super Bowl, AdAge reports, but was held for the Oscars viewers, who may be more likely to consider premium brands.