Time For A Commercial Break: Memorable Sports Ads From 2011
In an increasingly crowded marketplace, companies now more than ever want to create an advertisement or campaign that stands above the rest. Here are some ads that made an impression on us this year.
HAIR APPARENT: The Head & Shoulders campaign featuring Steelers S Troy Polamalu has been highly entertaining and successful on its own, but add in Twins C Joe Mauer as Polamalu’s foil and comedic gold is born. Mauer’s “aw shucks” Midwestern heritage plays off well with Polamalu’s soft-spoken delivery. Has there ever been a player of Polamalu’s on-the-field excellence and long, flowing locks more perfectly aligned than him endorsing a shampoo? Mauer, despite playing in a small market, has also made a name for himself and his marketing portfolio continues to grow.
BENDING REALITY? Soccer star David Beckham once again proves why he is a marketer’s dream in this viral ad from Diet Pepsi. Beckham appears on a California beach drinking a Diet Pepsi and begins dribbling a soccer ball on the sand. At one point, he takes three soccer balls and amazingly kicks each one of them across the beach into three separate garbage cans some distance away. Beckham then nonchalantly takes a sip from his Diet Pepsi and walks off. Beckham insisted the footage was real and undoctored, claiming he practiced for five to six hours.
DRIVING TO THE BASKET: Last year’s All-Star Game Dunk Contest featured a breakout performance by Clippers F Blake Griffin, announcing his arrival as the league’s next superstar on the court and All-Star endorser off it. Griffin’s dunk over a Kia Optima instantly became an All-Star classic moment and was quickly recognized by Kia as an incredible marketing opportunity. The Kia spot features Griffin’s dunk over the Kia in slow-motion, with dramatic theme music. That dunk cemented his arrival as the future of the NBA on Madison Avenue.
GOAL ORIENTED: Bruins G Tim Thomas parlayed his team’s run to the Stanley Cup championship into marketing opportunities, starring in a Discover card commercial. The spot was part of the company’s ongoing campaign and has “Peggy” attempting to help Thomas with a credit card problem. Despite being the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Thomas is intimidated by a female Boston-area cab driver as he can’t pay the fare. The cabbie insists he is not Tim Thomas, then pulls down the car’s visor that is covered with pictures of the All-Star.
WHERE’S SHOELESS JOE? The classic film “Field of Dreams” continues to live on in the public’s imagination, as the movie’s themes continues to inspire and touch our emotions like only baseball can. Pepsi’s ad this year featuring innumerable baseball HOFers and current MLBers follows Yankees P CC Sabathia being led through the cornfield to find a Pepsi Max. When he asks, “What is this place?” He is told, “Iowa, only with maximum Pepsi taste and zero calories.” The spot invokes a nostalgic, bygone era along with some humor without inundating us with a corporate message.
IF THE SHOE FITS….: Move over Gisele, there’s another fashionista in the Brady household. Patriots QB Tom Brady was featured in an ad for UGG Australia but in a curious move, much of the ad only shows Brady’s feet as the camera follows him walking around in daily situations wearing various UGGs. Brady’s acting chops are not tested, however, as he utters no lines. The former MVP helps to expand the company’s exposure, going beyond the UGG-wearing pre-teen young girl and expanding into the male demographic, although it is hard to picture Patriots fans from South Boston attending a Pats game in ankle-high suede UGGs.
GOING OFF COURSE: While not an ad per se, the musical collaboration of four up-and-coming PGA Tour members serves as an advertisement for what golf can be. Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson collaborate to form Golf Boys, their homage to the boy-band music scene, and release their debut video “Oh Oh Oh.” The charitable effort goes a long way to dispel the myth of the staid, conservative golfer and move the PGA Tour’s young stars to the forefront, especially with the absence of Tiger Woods on leaderboards. Crane said, “We just want to grow awareness for the game, want people to enjoy it.”
DETROIT ROCK CITY: The Super Bowl is always good for a couple memorable commercials, and nothing grabbed our attention like the Chrysler 200 ad featuring Detroit-native Eminem. The spot depicted Detroit in docu-drama style as a hard-working, resilient town. It also told the story of how Detroit and the auto industry are survivors, with the Grammy-winning rapper giving the spot some star power and adding to its edginess. The spot reminds us that times are tough in the world, but America -- and especially Detroit -- is tougher.
