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Dan Campbell’s second Applebee’s commercial is out and it might be better than the first.
In case you didn’t know, the Detroit Lions head coach is one of the main characters in Applebee’s commercials that will air during the 2024 NFL season. His first commercial for the nationwide family restaurant chain debuted Wednesday and features Campbell as a waiter wearing a trainer’s headset, warning customers to cover their mouths before placing their order.
The second commercial, which aired Thursday, was about 15 seconds longer and shows Campbell in one of his natural positions.
In the new advertising campaign, Campbell serves as an assistant shift manager at an Applebee’s restaurant, leading the rest of the staff in his typical Lions coaching style.
Campbell playfully explains what he brings to the restaurant (“Now that I’m on this team, we’re going to reach a different level of production”), including friendly competition with the staff, which leads to him setting a goal to have a colleague named Employee of the Month.
On Wednesday, Campbell said he agreed to appear in the commercials only reluctantly and at the urging of his wife and daughter.
“Look, this was something I always resisted doing,” Campbell said at the Lions’ training facility at Allen Park. “My wife and my daughter keep saying, ‘You have to do it. You should do it. Do this. Do that.’ So they talked me into the Applebee’s deal and I said, ‘Okay, we’ll do it.'”
But Campbell enjoyed working with the production team to produce the two commercials.
“I had a blast doing it,” Campbell said. “The staff and crew that worked with us were incredible. The actors were great. I mean, they made it what it is.”
The first ad was played during commercial breaks and has been running on Amazon for two days since its release.
You can expect to see a lot more of Applebee’s waiter Dan Campbell throughout the football season.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press, covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two top universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 and email him at [email protected].
