AD WEEK's Sam Thielman reported Old Spice has four new 15-second ads ready for the NFL season featuring Broncos WR Wes Welker and Patriots LB Jerod Mayo that are "really funny." The ads, via Wieden + Kennedy, are done "in the same style as W+K's recent Old Spice bar-soap ads" in that they make fun of "basically everything with a choral jingle over an otherwise silent CPG spot in the 1980s" (
ADWEEK.com, 9/4). In Providence, Mike McDermott wrote one "particularly funny" spot shows Mayo "surrounded by a pretty unimposing group of actors in Patriots uniforms while a coach draws up a play -- or is that an alien abduction scene?" (
PROVIDENCEJOURNAL.com, 9/4). BLEACHER REPORT's Tristan Thornburgh wrote regardless of whether viewers find the ads funny, they are "some of the most outside-the-box advertisements featuring athletes on TV" (
BLEACHERREPORT.com, 9/4).
SMOOTH OPERATORS: FORBES.com's Darren Heitner reported Gillette has signed Packers LB Clay Matthews, Giants WR Victor Cruz, Patriots WR Danny Amendola and Buccaneers RB Doug Martin for a new campaign that "includes four commercials focusing on the importance of precision both on the gridiron and with regard to the equipment needed to tackle shaving." The first ad promotes the Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor and features all four players "with different types of gear covering their face." IMG VP Carlos Fleming negotiated the Gillette deal for Cruz, who has "marketing ties with Advil, Nike, Time Warner Cable, Pepsi and one other brand that will be announced in the coming weeks" (FORBES.com, 9/4).
HAIR APPARENT: Campbell's Chunky Soup has officially announced Matthews will be the star of its ongoing "Mama's Boy" campaign for the '13 season. Matthews will appear along with Packers CB Casey Heyward and FB John Kuhn in three separate ads. As part of the agreement, Campbell will donate 1,000 cans of soup for every sack Matthews has during the season to both a Green Bay-based food bank and one in the opposing team's city (Campbell). The company's deal with Matthews was first reported in June by SportsBusiness Journal.
BROTHERS IN ARMS: Dunkin' Donuts has renewed its deal with Giants QB Eli Manning for two years, and will feature him in various ads and promos across the N.Y. region. Manning will promote the QSR's Iced Coffee and its new mobile app. Dunkin' Donuts is supporting the agreement with the "Eli's Way to Pay Instant Win & Sweepstakes" in which customers through Sept. 26 can text a phrase and discover instantly if they have won a prize. Meanwhile, Broncos QB Peyton Manning will again appear in a series of TV ads for Papa John's Pizza with company Founder, Chair & CEO John Schnatter (THE DAILY).
NOTES: Cowboys TE Jason Witten will appear in a new ad campaign for Levi Strauss' Denizen jeans line. A sweepstakes will give one fan an opportunity to watch a Cowboys game this season at AT&T Stadium....49ers LB Patrick Willis has signed to endorse protein beverage line Rockin' Refuel. He will appear in a national TV campaign for the drink (THE DAILY).
