Melissa McCarthy Learns to Roll Her Rs in e.l.f’s Super Bowl Telenovela Drama

​e.l.f will air a two-minute, telenovela-inspired drama on Peacock this Super Bowl Sunday. 

Tapping into cultural conversation around Big Game programming and Bad Bunny’s anticipated halftime show performance, the brand noticed that English-speaking communities had embraced the idea of learning Spanish ahead of the Super Bowl, to ensure they could fully engage with and enjoy the event. 

Starring Melissa McCarthy, actor and TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez, and iconic telenovela villain Itatí Cantoral, the drama, titled ‘Melisa’ (pronounced ‘me-LEE-sa’), sees McCarthy’s character awakening in a hospital bed to discover she has only one day to learn Spanish before watching the world’s biggest reggaeton show. 

Melissa’s unlikely saviour comes in the form of e.l.f ‘s best-selling Glow Reviver Lip Oil. With a limited knowledge of Spanish and a difficulty pronouncing the rolled ‘R’ sound, the oil helps to make her lips juicier and her pronunciation all the better. 

“I’ve always believed that laughter is universal – it’s one of the most genuine ways we connect,” said Melissa McCarthy. “So teaming up with my new friends at e.l.f. and 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, joyful, and just plain fun.”

Aligning with e.l.f’s mission to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face, ‘Melisa’ was brought to life by e.l.f’s partner agency 72andSunny Amsterdam, and was directed by Tim Heidecker from Tim & Eric with creative consulting by Santiago Fabregas. The film was shot in 30 frames per second, utilising hyper-saturated colour and lighting to add to the melodrama of each moment in true telenovela style. 

“e.l.f. Cosmetics is a bold brand with such a fun sensibility, that being invited into this campaign on one of the world’s biggest stages was an absolute honour,” said Nicholas Gonzalez. “Getting to celebrate Latino storytelling through humour, heart, and a full-on telenovela lens – alongside someone as fearless as Melissa McCarthy – felt both meaningful and wildly fun.”

“It felt like a dream come true. I realised it wasn’t just a professional opportunity; it was a recognition of my journey and my roots,” added Itatí Cantoral. “Being a Latina on a stage this big, like the Big Game, means so much to me. e.l.f. represents progress. It shows that beauty can be powerful, inclusive, and accessible at the same time. Thank you e.l.f. y viva Mexico.”

To extend the message of language learning further, e.l.f is teaming up with Duolingo to offer a complimentary Super Duolingo subscription to all e.l.f. Beauty Squad loyalty members so they can learn Spanish without the ads.

Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer at e.l.f. Beauty commented, “Everything we do at e.l.f. marries having your head in the stars to dream big and putting your feet on the ground to make it happen. We dreamt of pairing the absurdly good benefits of Glow Reviver Lip Oil with the comedy powerhouse of Melissa McCarthy, and the antagonist superpower of telenovela royalty Itatí Cantoral during the most impactful cultural moment of the year. That wish comes true on Sunday when we show up to celebrate with our Latin and Hispanic community in a meaningful way.”

The film will air during the Big Game on Peacock, kicking off a campaign that will span TV, social and digital.

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