Culture – 25 mins ago

Photo Credit: Popeyes (YouTube)

Known as the kid in the throwback Popeyes meme, Dieunerst Collin now appears in a Super Bowl commercial for the chicken franchise.

Dieunerst Collin, once known as the “Popeyes meme kid,” has gone ‘From Memes to Dreams.’ In a Super Bowl commercial for the fried chicken franchise, the 18-year-old flaunts his new celebrity status.

“You might know me, I used to be that meme kid. And now, I’m in Popeyes’ big game ad,” Collin says in the promo spot while driving a Tesla. “It’s got all of those things those ads have, like a nice ride. Electric, of course.” He adds, “It’s got puppies.”

At nine-years-old, Collin became a viral star when he appeared in a video posted to the now-defunct Vine. In the clip, a young Collin was stood in an Irvington, New Jersey Popeyes where he side-eyed a person recording him, who mistook him for Lil TerRio.

Ultimately, Collin got the last laugh, getting a billboard in Newark, New Jersey to being accepted to Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio on a football scholarship. The fast food chain also sponsors Collin to use his likeness in ads.

I NEED EVEYONE TO GO TO MY INSTAGRAM @dieunerst REPOST MY RECENT POST AND TAG @Popeyes I JUST WANNA TALK🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/Fq00ylsJqs

— Dieunerst Collin (@CollinDieunerst) January 8, 2023

In a recent CNN profile on Collin, he shared that his parents originally weren’t keen on their son being an internet meme.

“When it happened, we didn’t want to be in the spotlight. And just having that out there, people were coming to my dad and saying, ‘Hey, we’ve seen your kid on this,’ trying to make a joke of it. My dad didn’t like it for his kids to be joked on,” Collin said. “But now, the fact that I switched it into a blessing, he likes it.”

Watch the full commercial spot below.