Officially, Peyton Manning went 3-0 against his younger brother Eli and the New York Giants during his NFL Hall of Fame career.
Now, years after their respective retirements, the Archie boys are facing off in the Super Bowl, as FanDuel has revealed in a fantastic new ad.
“May The Best Manning win,” reads the tagline for the sportsbook's latest version of Kick of Destiny.
The title-winning quarterbacks agreed to the annual kicking contest scheduled to take place during the Super Bowl LIX pregame show, only this time, it's a new head-to-head format.
However, just as FanDuel has done the previous two years with former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski, consumers can still compete for their share of $10 million in bonus bets if they correctly predict the outcome.
“Only from FanDuel, America's No. 1 sportsbook,” Eli says, rehearsing in front of the mirror in the opening moments of the new ad.
Eli Manning's Younger Self Lines Up a Field Goal in Fantastic New FanDuel Ad
A defiant Eli (left) lashes out at the younger version of Peyton (right) in the new FanDuel ad.
Peyton is seen wearing tongs while laughing at her brother Eli's dream of being a kicker.
“A little stiff,” older brother Peyton comments from a nearby doorway. 'That? Do you have a job interview?'
Eli then explains that he is competing in Kick of Destiny 3.
“I'm finally going to be a kicker, like I always dreamed of,” Manning's younger brother says as a flashback sequence plays.
Seen in a wig, zip-up jacket, jeans and polo, Eli is suddenly transported back to his childhood in the 1980s.
“It all comes down to these people,” he says while setting up a field goal attempt in a small park.
Eli splits the goalposts and celebrates as if he had done it in a real game.
“Yes, that's three points to win the Super Bowl,” he says.
That's when Peyton is seen taunting her younger brother from the sidelines.
“You'll never be a kicker, Eli,” laughs Peyton, also wearing an '80s-style wig. “You'll have to be a quarterback like dad and me.”
The obvious joke here is that the Mannings are all quarterbacks: Archie (Saints, Oilers), Peyton (Colts, Broncos), Eli (Giants), and even Arch, the son of his older brother Cooper, is a prospect of the NFL in Texas.
Despite the missed kick, fireworks were set off and a group of fans stormed the field to celebrate with Gronkowski, including his longtime girlfriend Camille Kostek (near right).
“I was born to be a kicker, Peyton,” Eli defiantly responds to his brother. 'You'll see.'
The two are then transported to the present day.
“FanDuel Kick of Destiny 3 is my destiny, Peyton,” Eli says. “You and I know that.”
They then confront each other when Peyton has the last word: “Not if I do it first.”
FanDuel's wildly popular ad campaign helped deliver a record day for the sportsbook last February, when players wagered $307 million on the platform across 14 million bets.
Fans who correctly predicted Gronkowski would miss the shot for the second year in a row received $25 in bonus bets.
“The kick of destiny is becoming a great Super Bowl Sunday tradition and I feel very good about my chances of getting the win,” Eli said in a FanDuel press release. “I look forward to celebrating with everyone in America who chooses me to beat Peyton.”
“Eli and I have always been competitive and this will be a fun way to challenge each other in a completely different way,” Peyton added in the statement. “I've been studying videos of great kickers and training hard to make sure I bring home victory to everyone in America who picks me to beat Eli.”