Gritty, one of professional sports’ most monstrous mascots, celebrated the Philadelphia Flyers “New Era of Orange” with a hockey-themed rendition of Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC ad.
Wearing Kidman’s instantly recognizable pinstripe suit, which has become a popular Halloween costume in recent years, Gritty squeaked his oversized shoes down the hallowed halls of Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. “Flyers hockey feels good in a place like this,” declared the voice-over artist, emulating Kidman’s Australian accent. Clips of Flyers’ hockey – and, perhaps more importantly, hockey fights – played over Gritty’s sentimental visit to the empty arena.
Debuting in 2018, the orange Flyers’ mascot took the internet by storm with his chaotic nature and somewhat-cursed visage. Perhaps unsurprisingly designed by the same team behind the Philly Phanatic, Gritty shares DNA with the city’s coterie of bizarre spokescreatures including the aforementioned Phillies’ furball and the retired Sixers’ mascot Hip Hop the Bunny. However, unlike other sports mascots, Gritty consistently takes advantage of a meme-worthy pop culture moments, such as Kidman’s AMC advertisement.
Despite his towering and intimidating 7-foot stature, Gritty has commissioned an array of custom cosplays for his distinctive figure. Aside from his Kidman look, Gritty has shared recent posts in costume as Thanos and Margot Robbie’s Barbie as well as historic figures such as Benjamin Franklin. In light of Taylor Swift’s NFL spotlight, Gritty also made sure to save a seat for the Philadelphia-area pop star at Wells Fargo Center.
Gritty’s pop culture currency goes both ways, with the mascot making cameos in the most recent seasons of both Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Both the Always Sunny cast and Gritty have likewise shown up to the Wells Fargo Center’s neighboring Citizens Bank Park to support the Philly Phanatic and Philadelphia Phillies in their current playoff run. Gritty’s Kidman ad served to promote the 2023-2024 NHL Season, which started on Oct. 10.
As witnessed in Gritty’s AMC-style ad, the Philadelphia Flyers are promoting their upcoming hockey season as a “New Era of Orange.” Aside from routing for the team at in-person games and in increasingly zany social media posts, Gritty has leveraged his impressive costuming capabilities into a 2024 glamour calendar for Flyers fans.
