Celine Dion on “Sunday Night Football”: “she is ready to do anything to come back”

By agreeing to be doused with Gatorade in a video broadcast before an NFL game on Sunday evening, Celine Dion once again unequivocally demonstrated that she “is ready to do anything to return” to the stage, believes a marketing professor from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

“It’s a message she’s been sending for a while that this is really important to her. Céline is a special artist, she is passionate about her work to an unimaginable level,” notes Alexis Perron-Brault.

Before the match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, Celine Dion recalled the long-standing rivalry between the two teams in a video of approximately 90 seconds punctuated by her song It’s All Coming Back To Me Now.

The message ends, in true NFL tradition, with a Gatorade shower, a treatment reserved for the coach of the winning team in a championship game.

Screenshot from a @SNFonNBC video on X

Like a champion coming back from injury

This is not the first time that the marketing operation surrounding Céline’s return to the spotlight, initiated by a surprise visit to the Montreal Canadiens locker room after a match in Las Vegas a year ago, goes through a sporting event.

The most striking moment is certainly her interpretation of Edith Piaf’s classic, Hymn to loveat the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. During the last year, she was also seen in the Boston Bruins locker room and she announced the Canadian’s first choice in the last NHL draft.

All this is not trivial, believes Alexis Perron-Brault, and allows us to draw a parallel between Céline’s efforts to return to the stage and those of a great champion who tries to make a return to the game after a serious injury or an illness.

“If we exclude the question of doping, it makes me think of Lance Armstrong who came back from cancer to win the Tour de France,” says the UQAM professor.

Perfect plan

One thing is certain, observes Alexis Perron-Brault, the marketing plan developed by the singer’s team works perfectly. “The narrative behind it is very well done,” he says.

Indeed, since Sunday evening, all American media specializing in entertainment, from Billboard au Variety passing through the Rolling Stone and the Hollywood Reportertalked about his video for the NFL.

On the web, all the comments from his admirers were unanimously positive. “Queen of pop, queen of Gatorade,” summed up a fanatic of the diva on Instagram.

Capable for real

“Afterwards,” points out Mr. Perron-Brault, “it’s going well because the performance at the Olympic Games was successful.” His performance in Paris is of great strategic importance with a view to announcing his return, he believes.

“This announcement will not be surprising, but it will be well received because no one will question whether she can actually sing.”

Now, what will be the next step between now and the big comeback? Singing at the Super Bowl pre-game ceremonies or at the next Grammy awards show?

Stay tuned because it’s clear that Celine Dion hasn’t finished surprising us.

October 30, 2023: surprise visit to the Canadian locker room after a match, in Las Vegas

Archive photo taken from Chantal Machabée’s Instagram account

November 4, 2023: She attends a Katy Perry concert in Las Vegas.