- Jersey Mike's launched “Game Day Mike’s Way,” an NFL advertising campaign starring Danny DeVito alongside two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning.
- The campaign kicks off with Stacked and Jacked: The Danny DeVito Story, a comedic mock biopic where DeVito builds elite quarterback arm strength by lifting heavy submarine sandwiches.
- The rollout marks the chain's second year as an official NFL sub-sponsor and supports an aggressive digital marketing push following its July 2026 New York Stock Exchange debut.
- Both stars expand their 2026 brand footprints, with Manning also leading major beverage partnerships and DeVito continuing as Jersey Mike's national face since 2022.
Fast-casual sandwich giant Jersey Mike’s has launched “Game Day Mike’s Way,” a multi-channel NFL marketing platform starring actor Danny DeVito and football legend Eli Manning.
Created with creative agency Highdive Advertising, the push celebrates the brand’s second season as the official sub sandwich sponsor of the NFL.
The campaign centers on a mock biopic titled Stacked and Jacked: The Danny DeVito Story, directed by Eric Appel. In the commercial, DeVito develops massive arm strength by constantly lifting and devouring meat-stacked subs. This power turns him into a superstar quarterback, leaving Manning watching from the bench.
The storyline flips their 2025 ads, where DeVito grew suspicious of Manning encroaching on his turf as brand spokesperson.
The partnership deepens a multi-year relationship for both stars. DeVito signed on as Jersey Mike’s first celebrity spokesperson in September 2022. He previously led high-profile campaigns for M&M’s and State Farm Insurance. He also remains active on screen, wrapping production on Jumanji: Open World and filming the eighteenth season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2026.
Meanwhile, Manning continues his run as one of commercial television’s top sports personalities. Beyond his ongoing Jersey Mike’s appearances, he partnered with Jameson for the America’s Biggest Round NFL campaign to sponsor $5 million in fan bar tabs. He has also starred in campaigns for Frito-Lay and Toyota.
The duo’s lighthearted banter mirrors a wider wave of sports-driven food marketing this season, including Josh Allen fronting Pizza Hut and Pepsi’s new gameday campaign.
For decades, Jersey Mike’s avoided celebrity endorsers before signing DeVito. Today, the chain uses star power to fuel digital growth. Following its debut on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2026, Jersey Mike’s increased digital ad spending from less than 1% to more than 20% of its total budget to connect with younger football audiences.
Takeaways
Jersey Mike’s shows how serialized storytelling can keep long-running celebrity endorsements fresh. Instead of resetting their marketing each season, the brand builds on Danny DeVito and Eli Manning’s fictional rivalry, turning a standard football sponsorship into episodic comedy.
Placing DeVito on the field and benching an NFL legend delivers immediate comedic contrast that cuts through game-day ad clutter.
More importantly, this creative effort matches the company’s broader business transformation. After listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Jersey Mike’s shifted over 20% of its marketing budget into digital and social channels.
Pairing these high-profile stars with mobile app promotions and digital delivery pushes enables the brand to convert casual television viewers into high-margin, first-party digital customers.
Does continuing a fictional rivalry across multiple seasons build stronger customer loyalty than launching a completely new concept every fall? How does pairing an active sports figure with an offbeat Hollywood actor change the tone and appeal of an official NFL sponsorship?
