NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 12, 2026 / In a historic and breakthrough moment during Super Bowl LX - a broadcast that drew nearly 125 million viewers, making it the second-most watched television event in U.S. history - Peter Arnell, the legendary brand guru and creative director, alongside a champion creative team, redefined what Super Bowl advertising can be.
Starring Mike Tyson and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Brett Ratner, the MAHA Real Food film shattered decades of advertising convention on America's biggest stage. Brett and Mike's friendship dates back to Brett's teenage years finally joining forces after all this time on a platform as iconic as the Super Bowl; in sharing a message of such magnitude.
Conceived and creatively directed by Arnell - a visionary known for transforming cultural discourse through design, story and visual intelligence - the film was shot in stark black and white, stripped away from spectacle and excess, distilling the message into its purest form.
This was not just another commercial.
It was a national declaration.
A BREAKTHROUGH FROM SEDUCTION TO TRANSPARENCY
For decades, Super Bowl advertising has been dominated by hyper-produced, highly manipulated messaging designed to glamourise junk, processed, and ultra-processed food - historically the mainstay of food advertising during the broadcast.
Arnell's film broke that pattern.
Instead of seduction, it offered sincerity.
Instead of excess, it offered restraint.
Instead of manipulation, it offered permission.
With NBC and the NFL airing what many described as a provocative and controversial message, the moment signalled that even the most commercialized cultural stages can carry meaning, substance, and public value.
Working closely with MAHA leadership, Arnell and his champion creative team deliberately redirected one of the most commercialized venues in modern culture into what functioned as a national public service announcement - without sacrificing artistry, depth or emotional resonance.
Watch the commercial here:
A FIGHTER'S TESTIMONY
Tyson appears not just as a legend in sport, but as a man reflecting on his own battle with obesity, unhealthy eating, and the emotional consequences of poor food environments - and his decision to reclaim his health through real food.
It takes a rare creative alliance - Tyson's raw honesty and Ratner's disciplined direction - to resist the glossy trappings of typical commercial production and deliver something unslick, vulnerable, and bold enough to carry real truth.
No tricks.
No shortcut glamour.
No marketing manipulation.
Just a fighter speaking plainly about what matters.
STRATEGIC TIMING. NATIONAL IMPACT.
The communications strategy was deliberate and historic. On the eve of the government's new food pyramid guidelines, MAHA sought a voice that embodied both the problem and the solution.
That voice was Tyson.
Peter Arnell, Creative Director:
"When you're given the largest platform in America, you have a responsibility. This wasn't about spectacle. It was about clarity. Real food is not just nutrition - it's human."
Brett Ratner, Director:
"The breakthrough here was restraint. Mike didn't perform - he spoke. And that honesty is what made it powerful."
Tony Lyons, Head of MAHA:
"This spot is a cultural inflection point. We chose courage over comfort - and the reaction proves this country is ready for truth."
BEYOND THE BROADCAST
The Super Bowl premiere was only the beginning.
Arnell personally photographed the national MAHA campaign imagery, extending the message into the streets of America. Through a major contribution from Firefly, Tyson's powerful black-and-white portraits now dominate taxi tops across major markets coast to coast - transforming urban skylines into mobile declarations of national health advocacy.
What began as a film is becoming a movement.
A historic breakthrough.
A cultural reset.
A redefinition of what Super Bowl advertising can stand for.
And Arnell - with his champion team - delivered the moment.
Peter Arnell Speaks at the US Department of Health and Human Services
Media Contact:
Tony Lyons, President, MAHA Center
Tony@mahacenter.org
SOURCE: Peter Arnell
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/arnell-delivers-with-his-champion-team-a-historic-and-breakthrou-1135893
