• by Fern Siegel , 4 hours ago

Melissa McCarthy is making her third Super Bowl appearance this Sunday. The first was an ad for Kia Niro in 2017 and the second, a musical spot for Booking.com in 2023.

Now, she headlines "Melisa," a 2026 telenovela-style commercial for e.l.f. Cosmetics. Her character wakes up in a hospital bed only to learn she has one day to master Spanish before watching the biggest reggaeton concert. What facilitates that transformation? e.l.f.'s Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

72andSunny Amsterdam created the work, directed by Tim Heidecker from Tim & Eric. A 30-second spot will run in the game, but the larger two-minute spot is here.

“After years of building alongside e.l.f., we’ve developed a shared instinct for when to push, when to play and when to go big. Telenovelas already live in a world of heightened emotion, humor and heart, and pairing that energy with e.l.f.’s point of view turned a product story into entertainment. Our long-standing partnership gave us the trust to lean into that tension and exaggerate it through the telenovela lens,” Hollie Loxley, managing director, 72andSunny Amsterdam, told Agency Daily. “That let e.l.f.’s unapologetically inclusive personality guide every creative choice, resulting in work that feels joyful and bold.” 

McCarthy told People the ad was a “love letter” to the Latinx community, which supports the brand. The actress stars alongside Nicholas Gonzalez and telenovela vet Itatí Cantoral. To improve her language skills, she utilized Duolingo, which has an alliance with e.l.f.

The spot is e.l.f. Cosmetics' segue into Bad Bunny's Halftime Show during the Feb. 8 game. The campaign also spans TV, social and digital channels.

“Stepping into the dramatic world of telenovelas — a genre full of passion and heart — felt really special. Adding glossy, juicy lips to all that melodrama was unexpected and just plain fun,” added McCarthy.