Until Gatorade's latest campaign, What's G?, (which could be far better), they were pretty darn good in presenting strong and at least relevant, if not compelling, television advertisements on a consistent basis. So while the mere sight of those ads make some people cringe, here's an elixir.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is how a sports-themed ad should be done.
Can anyone point out a poor TV ad from the Jordan/Jumpman brand?
Because Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Richard Hamilton and Joe Johnson are not the names that even the non-sports fan can immediately recall, this commercial may not have the... panache?... that one with other Nike-endorsed players (see LeBron and Kobe) would hold.
However, this ad - featuring four players of different offensive abilities to go with four different teams - has a way of making you see all four on the court, despite there being four 'separate' games. For a fast-paced spot, it keeps the action fluid, shows the product in use and features audio that actually enhances the visual movement.
These seem like simple goals and there are hundreds of creative agencies that are out there, trying to achive those goals and craft an image for their clients that is supposed to help invoke an emotional response to make a positive connection in order to sell the product/service. You'd be amazed how often that goes wrong.
Perception is reality, the saying goes. Modern players can never transcend time, athletes only care about the money and the fan is never wrong. Yet, all you need to do is dig a little deeper to find the truth. As a freelance sportswriter, my job is to give the audience a story around what just happened. As a consumer, I expect that sports will always provide more than I bargained for. As a fan, my hopes are to be enlightened by more than points. Welcome to the mind of a sports scribe.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Fluid
at
9:08 PM
Labels:
"What's G?",
Carmelo Anthony,
Chris Paul,
Gatorade,
Joe Johnson,
Jumpman,
Richard Hamilton
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2 comments:
I think a lot of what makes the Jordan commercials work is their simplicity. There's far too much going on in the Gatorade spot. And way too much talking.
It reminds me of another Jordan ad I liked: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-21785203558178567&hl=en
It's just about the game, nothing extraneous.
I think it might have helped to pick less recognizable faces - you can focus on the ad, not just the names.
You're spot on about the simplicity of Jumpman/Jordan.
I must say that this particular ad from about two years ago is quite possibly my favorite sports commercial of all time. It's not only the simplicity, but I've always believed that most athletes absolutely loved the idea of being the villian on the road rather than the hero at home. To place this scene in high school basketball makes it even more profound.
Thanks for the comment!
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