In L.A., Mike DiGiovanna notes Angels CF Mike Trout "has been busy this spring, the demands of stardom" pulling him "in many directions." There was a "Nike photo shoot, the filming of a commercial" for MLB, appearances on ESPN, MTV, FS1 and FS West, and interviews, with an SI cover photo shoot still "to come." Trout: "People think the commercials are a lot of work, but if you try to have fun with them and try to trick your mind a little bit, they're OK" (L.A. TIMES, 3/6).
DRIVER'S DREAM: ADWEEK's Tim Nudd noted a new 60-second NASCAR spot from Ogilvy & Mather, N.Y., "shows the sport's youngest fans talking about what they want to be when they grow up -- and they end up describing their NASCAR heroes pretty well." It is a "fun and different way to leverage one of the sport's great assets -- the star power of its drivers -- while touching on the truth of how people become fans in the first place" (ADWEEK.com, 3/4).
TICKLING THE IVORIES: In L.A., Eric Pincus reported Lakers G Kobe Bryant while rehabbing from Achilles and knee issues "apparently had time to build a custom piano." At least that is the "premise of his latest Nike commercial." While the spot "features Lionel Richie playing on a piano in the shape of Bryant's logo, the narrator admits that Bryant did not, in fact, make the instrument" (
LATIMES.com, 3/5).
CANADIANS CASH IN: The CP's Lori Ewing reported Canadian Gold Medal-winning bobsledder Kaillie Humphries is "making the most of her medal before the small window for endorsements and appearances is slammed shut." Her agent, Sprint Management COO Kris Mychasiw, said that he is "receiving some 20 emails a day with requests for appearances or product endorsements for the bobsledder." Meanwhile, Mychasiw on Tuesday also signed deals with the members of Canada's Gold Medal-winning men's curling team, and "despite the 10 days or so that have passed since Sochi, he believes the curlers will be an easy sell" (CP, 3/5).
