Don’t like soccer? Yes you do, says ESPN. To advertise its MLS coverage, ESPN is rolling out a campaign from Wieden + Kennedy that says, essentially, that soccer is a lot like baseball, football and basketball. Which isn’t really true, but you have to appeal to non-soccer fans somehow. See the ads here. The tagline is, “You are a fan. You just don’t know it yet,” which sounds intriguing enough, although in my experience, when someone uses a phrase like “You just don’t know it yet,” you have to wonder if maybe you’re better off not knowing. (See, for example, “You are an atheist. You just don’t know it yet,” or “You are a master of biofeedback. You just don’t know it yet.”) Still, hopefully some viewers will drink the Kool-Aid—or, failing that, at least the Red Bull. —Posted by Tim Nudd

March 29, 2007 | Permalink

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Comments

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They're right, I do like soccer! Thanks ESPN.

Posted by: aving a revelation right now. | Mar 29, 2007 2:02:10 PM

I like soccer too, but I grew up in Europe.

Posted by: Herbert | Mar 29, 2007 4:49:47 PM

I like ads put together by final cut's tutorial function.

AND soccer.

Posted by: Donna | Mar 29, 2007 6:27:47 PM

We all love the beautiful game. Spread the love.

Posted by: fomd | Mar 29, 2007 10:07:19 PM

Being British, football ("Saaccer") is in our blood. I find it hard to understand how anybody who finds baseball in the least bit interesting couldn;t find excitement in the worlds favourite sport.

But then I guess they feel the same way about Baseball...

Nice ads though, at least trying to get round the assumption that the game is boring when it is usually anything but.

Posted by: Rob Mortimer | Mar 31, 2007 12:16:19 PM

I guess if you can sit through the WWE (fake hitting, blind referees, endless matches and not real scoring) you can be a fan.

Posted by: Anon | Apr 3, 2007 3:28:17 PM

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