Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have returned to the scene of the orgasm, recreating the indelible deli scene from When Harry Met Sally for a Super Bowl ad for mayonnaise.
The spot for Hellmann’s (watch the 60-second version above) was filmed at Katz’s Delicatessen in New York, the same venue where the 1989 romcom scene took place. The close replica of the original scene only adds the variation that the addition of the right brand of mayo is what prompts an orgasmic response from Sally. Nodding to the original scene’s button, the line “I’ll have what she’s having,” the ad has Sydney Sweeney deliver it in place of Estelle Reiner in the original movie.
The ad will be part of a record-setting lineup for Fox’s telecast of the February 9 game. Earlier Wednesday, sources told Deadline the network has fetched more than $8 million for at least 10 of the 30-second spots during the game, a new high. Fox broke the $7 million mark in 2023, its last time broadcasting the Super Bowl.
Jake Szymanski directed the ad, which starts with Harry observing, “I can’t believe they let us back in this place.” When Sally asks him why, he responds, “Hello…,” alluding to the pounding-the-table scene in the film. “Nobody remembers that,” Sally shrugs.
Dissatisfied with her sandwich, Sally adds a squirt or two of Hellmann’s and suddenly rediscovers the carnal pleasures of a good deli experience. Crystal is in his element once Ryan begins moaning with delight. “Here we go,” he mutters. As more and more nearby diners and onlookers stare, he delivers a beleaguered smile, telling them, “Lunch and a show, huh? How about that?!”