Subway Tees Off Cultural Campaign Around Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2

In 1996, Happy Gilmore swung his way into pop culture history, and brought Subway right along with him, filming the legendary Subway commercial after being suspended from the golf tour. Now, nearly 30 years later, Subway is teaming up with Netflix to celebrate the return of one of the most beloved sports comedies of all time. Happy Gilmore 2 isn’t just a sequel—it’s a full-circle cultural moment.

EVERYONE WANTS ‘MORE HAPPY

To celebrate Happy Gilmore’s return, Subway, in partnership with dentsu, is giving North American fans more of what makes them happy: more of their all-time favourite subs, and more access to one of their all-time favourite movies, including collectible cups, limited-edition packaging and more.

At the centre is the Happy Gilmore Meal—for just one dollar more, fans can turn ANY meal into a Happy Gilmore moment, complete with exclusive packaging and playful nods to the film. It’s a celebration of joy, nostalgia, and flavour—all wrapped into one campaign, underpinned by a One dentsu approach.

dentsu, in partnership with Subway and Netflix led strategy and creative development, including the hero :30 featuring the legendary Shooter McGavin’s not-so-happy response to “More Happy,” exclusive packaging and limited-edition collectible cups designed by animation artist, Mickey Duzyj. Central to the social-led campaign is Happy’s long-time rival, Shooter McGavin (played by Christopher McDonald) and pro-golfer Bryson DeChambeau. While Shooter wants less “Happy,” Subway wants to give you MORE.

Working in partnership with Netflix and Happy Madison, dentsu entertainment and Carat negotiated the exclusive media partnership and film integration on behalf of Subway.

Expanding on the partnership, Carat secured media touchpoints and paid media partnerships with Overtime, Pubity, YouTube Greenlight, in addition to Netflix, and secured paid social.

​Merkle led the development of SubwaysHappyPlace.com, a digital destination where guests can win over $1 million dollars in prizes, Subway cash and 'Big Ass Checks', play games and view exclusive content. And for the super fans, limited edition merch with the Subway x Happy Gilmore 2 Pro Collection.

The campaign will run in the US and Canada across TV/OLV, social, digital and in-store, beginning on July 10, ahead of the film’s premiere date only on Netflix July 25.

Cristina Wells, senior vice president of US marketing at Subway remarked, "Alongside a generation of fans, Subway can't wait to see our old friend Happy Gilmore recapture the magic that made him such an enduring cultural icon in Happy Gilmore 2," said Cristina Wells, Senior Vice President of U.S. Marketing at Subway. "We're excited to partner with Netflix and give fans more of what makes them happy – more ways to enjoy their favourite subs and more ways to engage with a world that we cherish as much as they do – with a one-of-a-kind, connected experience exclusively at Subway."

​Angela Johnson, global client president, dentsu said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see this initiative come to fruition after months of close collaboration. It’s a powerful example of how dentsu can bring a concept to life across every channel—uniting world-class talent in entertainment, media, creative, social, and loyalty to deliver truly seamless integration. We’re proud to partner with Subway in this cultural moment, with a carefully crafted campaign designed for the highly anticipated launch of Happy Gilmore 2.”