Will NerdWallet's Talking Whale Make a Big Game Splash?

Director Tom Kuntz loves his critters

Leviathan lookalikes rejoice!

During yesterday’s NFL Conference Championship games, NerdWallet teased its first Super Bowl commercial. The brand landed Tank Sinatra, who prides himself on resembling a beluga whale, to headline a silly contest. If you, too, resemble the creature, you could win prizes.

That’s where we are as a society, and here’s a man and whale yakking it up:

“To get a true whale watching vibe, we shot this spot in a scenic ocean inlet near Vancouver on a real whale watching boat,” a rep for Deutsch L.A., which developed the initiative, tells Muse. “To allow our human talent the ability to react realistically, we had a to-scale giant floating beluga whale bust—the surprise breakout star of the production.”

Beluga whales rank among the smartest mammals. And NerdWallet offers smart financial tools. So, this campaign. Makes as much sense as anything these days.

MJZ’s Tom Kuntz directed. In 2023, he won the Super Clio honoring the Big Game’s best ad. That work for Tubi featured big-ass bunnies that never said a word.

Which brand will take home the 2025 Super Clio? We’ll find out on Feb. 10.