📌 In This Deep Dive
The song featured in Verizon’s 2026 “Not a Scratch” commercial is the 1989 Grammy-winning hit “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles, while the actress riding the mechanical bull is emerging performer Hannah Sulak. By pairing late-80s blues-rock nostalgia with modern iPhone durability, the viral ad creates an effortlessly cool contrast: explore the hidden Elvis Presley tribute within the lyrics, the song’s enduring legacy, and how Sulak stole the spotlight.
A rustic, wood-paneled bar straight out of a classic late-80s movie. People having drinks, a mechanical bull spinning in the center of the room, a hot girl capturing everyone’s attention, and a heavy, sultry rock song driving the entire mood. For a second, it feels like a scene pulled from decades ago, frozen in a time when nightlife was louder, darker, and raw.
Then, the illusion breaks. We see the latest iPhone slipping out of the girl’s jeans pocket, and suddenly we understand there is something more. That classic mood meets modern technology in a contrast that feels instantly distinct.
The new Verizon commercial has already gone viral, as they often do. The curiosity, of course, centers on the two true stars of the spot: that classic song not everybody recognizes right away, and the effortlessly confident actress riding the bull. It’s time to break down everything you need to know about the commercial of the moment.
Black Velvet: The Song in the New Verizon Commercial
The song driving that smoky, tavern-rock atmosphere does indeed belong to a completely different era: it’s “Black Velvet,” released in 1989 by Canadian singer Alannah Myles. A song that arrived at a time when rock music was still raw, heavy, and unapologetic: that slow bassline, those gritty vocals… it’s a track that feels timeless. Just great rock music that never gets old.
Beyond its late-80s sound, the song actually holds a deeper layer of nostalgia. Written by Christopher Ward and David Tyson, “Black Velvet” was born as a tribute to Elvis Presley. Ward came up with the idea while riding a bus packed with fans traveling to Memphis for the tenth anniversary of Elvis’s death. Struck by the intense, almost spiritual devotion of the crowd, he wanted to capture the lingering obsession with “The King.” The title itself holds a double meaning: “Black Velvet” is both a nod to Elvis’s smooth voice and a reference to those iconic black velvet paintings that became staples of Southern pop culture.
And that sense of mythic stardom is reflected directly in the lyrics we hear in the Verizon commercial:
Black velvet and that little boy’s smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that’ll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
A song that arrived in our time without a single scratch, just like the man in the commercial says about the iPhone. Because true rock and roll never dies.
Meet Hannah Sulak, the Girl on the Mechanical Bull
It might feel like you’ve already seen her somewhere before, but that’s likely just the sheer confidence she projects in that bar. The girl in the Verizon commercial is Hannah Sulak, an emerging actress based in Los Angeles. Her agency confirmed her starring role on Instagram shortly after the ad started airing, bringing a face to one of the most talked-about commercials of the moment.
Her background is rooted in theater (she was a high school standout who performed on Broadway at the Jimmy Awards), but she has already been building a presence across movies, TV, and commercials. She even had a brief appearance in Season 10 of American Horror Story. Watching her in the Verizon ad, it feels like she is ready for a real breakthrough: her natural magnetism shows she’s right where she belongs, and stepping into the spotlight of a major national campaign is a milestone she definitely deserves.
In the end, what makes this commercial work so well is how effortlessly it pulls all these pieces together. You have a scene that feels completely timeless, a smoky rock song from decades ago, and a young actress bringing modernity, confidence, and style. Verizon captures our attention simply by putting together a genuinely good commercial where every single element is in the right place.
