USA TODAY's Third Annual Creative Director's Survey is
featured today and ESPN's "SportsCenter" ads tied for second
place in the "best category," while Nike's Search & Destroy
and Good vs. Evil ads tied for fourth in the "worst."
Wieden & Kennedy ads for Nike "brought out both the Dr.
Jekyll and Mr./Ms. Hyde in our experts," according to USA
TODAY's Wells & Enrico. The panel "applauded" Nike's Tiger
Woods ads where Woods notes some country clubs still exclude
minorities and the panel also praised Nike's "If you let me
play" ads featuring young girls. Several critics said Nike
"exhibited poor taste" when it aired ads showcasing the Iggy
Pop tune "Search & Destroy" and depicting a runner vomiting
for ads during the Olympics. However, Wieden & Kennedy did
"get universally high markets" for its efforts with ESPN.
Martin Agency's Mike Hughes: "Wieden & Kennedy continues the
amazing job of making dumb jocks -- and the goofy journalist
who cover them -- seem incredibly cool" (USA TODAY, 12/9).
NIKE MANIA: In Chicago, Associate Sports Editor Ed
Sherman profiles Nike's ad technique: "The selling out of
sports is in full throttle. And Nike is the biggest player,
or offender" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/8)
