MIDDLETON, Wis. — A Rock County native has played a crucial role in multiple award-winning Super Bowl ads, and he hopes to do it again this year.  

What You Need To Know

  • With millions tuning in, the Super Bowl remains the biggest night for commercials; Grant Gustafson has worked on ads over the years
  • As a Beloit native, Gustafson has had success in editing award-winning Super Bowl ads 
  • This year, Gustafson edited a new MSC Cruises ad starring Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom, adding to his impressive portfolio of celebrity-driven Super Bowl spots
  • With multiple USA Today-ranked number one Super Bowl ads, including the 2020 Jeep commercial featuring Bill Murray, Gustafson has a track record of delivering standout commercials

Grant Gustafson, a managing editor at Cutters Studios in Chicago, has spent years perfecting his craft. The Beloit-born editor has been creating high-profile commercials for decades, including some of the most memorable Super Bowl spots.  

“So, you wanna really make a good first impression,” Gustafson said, explaining the thought process behind an ad. “You know, it’s really like, put everything you got into it.”  

Gustafson’s Super Bowl journey began in 2005 when he edited Bud Light’s comedic “Skydiver” ad.  

“I remember I had gotten pneumonia that year, so I had been really sick for a couple of weeks,” he recalled. “And I came back, and I don’t know if I was even totally aware it was going to be on the Super Bowl. And then it came in number one in USA Today.”  

His success continued with a series of beloved Budweiser Clydesdale commercials.  

“I love doing those Clydesdale ads through the years,” he said. “And working on those was always really fun.”  

In 2020, Gustafson worked on Jeep’s Super Bowl commercial featuring Bill Murray, which was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois.  

“And that was so fun. And it was well-received,” he said. “That spot did also get the number one spot on USA Today, which was exciting. And that was shot a week before the Super Bowl. So that was one of the fastest turnarounds we’d been a part of.”  

This year, Gustafson has been busy once again. He edited a new 60-second MSC Cruises commercial starring Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom.  

“A really funny spot,” he said. “So I worked on that one, and then I’ve got another one that I worked on, which I unfortunately, I don’t think I can talk about, because I think that might be a surprise.”  

Despite the demanding schedule, he said he enjoys the challenge of working on high-profile commercials.  

“It’s an exciting job, especially for Super Bowl,” Gustafson said. “And no two jobs are the same.”  

As he continues his long-running career, Gustafson remains a cinematic quarterback behind some of the biggest ads on television.  

View his portfolio of edited Super Bowl ads, here.

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