Stephen Kalyn, the breakout star of the Prime Video series Off Campus, took on the role of Coca-Cola Coin Toss Ambassador at the FIFA World Cup match between Canada and Switzerland on June 24 at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. The actor, who plays Dean Di Laurentis in the hockey romance series, participated in the ceremonial coin toss before the game.
World Cup Involvement and Statement
Kalyn and his co-stars were also spotted at B.C. Place earlier in the week for Egypt's 3-1 victory over New Zealand on June 21. In a statement, Kalyn expressed his excitement: "It's an honour to be part of a moment that unites the world. As a Canadian, this tournament hits differently. The FIFA World Cup coming to our home country is something we've dreamed about for a long time, and being here to celebrate it as a Coca-Cola Coin Toss Ambassador makes this moment even more special." He added, "The FIFA World Cup is bigger than any one sport or any one country. The energy and community reminds you of the power that sport has to bring people together."
New Verizon Ad Campaign
The World Cup gig came on the heels of Kalyn's new, steamy advertisement for Verizon, released on June 23. The black-and-white, one-minute ad, reminiscent of Calvin Klein style, features Kalyn dancing and strutting in a white tank top and leather pants to the INXS song Never Tear Us Apart. He tells the camera, "It's you. It's only you. You're the one," and later removes the tank top, declaring "simple is sexy." The campaign, titled "Simplicity is Sexy," is Kalyn's first major brand deal.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Kalyn said, "Doing a commercial is so different from doing what I do naturally, so I didn't know that world as much. You can kind of just let loose and think to yourself, 'Oh God, I really hope nobody would ever see me doing that in public.' That's kind of how I was feeling."
Success of Off Campus
Off Campus has become a massive hit since its first season premiered on May 26. According to Prime Video, the series became the platform's third-largest series debut ever, drawing 36 million viewers in its first 12 days. During the World Cup, production on Season 2 has taken a brief hiatus; the upcoming season is set to focus on Kalyn's character Dean and co-star Mika Abdalla's Allie.
