Yankee fans infatuated with (maybe) Nike ad
In the afterglow of their team's World Series victory, fans of the New York Yankees have been passing around what looks like a Nike ad, listing 15 reasons why the Yankees make their otherwise apparently quite shitty big-city lives bearable. The ad, with an image of Mariano Rivera, is done in the same style as some Nike Sportswear posters seen around NYC during the playoffs, though it's unclear if it's an official Nike creation. There's an apostrophe missing, for one thing. But Yankee fans will forgive just about anything these days. Says one: "I think they're just ignoring punctuation marks altogether for aesthetic purposes." —Posted by Tim Nudd Previously on AdFreak: |
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Published on November 12, 2009 | Permalink
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Oops. Macy's thinks Phillies won the Series
The New York Yankees are up 3-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, with Game 5 on Monday night. But this news has not reached the Macy's marketing department, which is congratulating the Phillies for a hard-fought series victory in the full-page ads running in Philly today. Oops. Via AgencySpy and Deadspin. |
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Published on November 2, 2009 | Permalink
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SNY ad honors Keith Hernandez's mustache
Fans of Keith Hernandez—and, especially, fans of his mustache—will enjoy this new commercial from Ogilvy & Mather promoting the cable-sports network SNY, on which the former first-baseman is one of the announcers for New York Mets games. In the spot, Hernandez is signing autographs at a sports-gear store, and pretty much everyone in the place has donned a fake 'stache as a sign of respect, or something. If it seems extravagant to build a commercial around the guy's mustache, it's less elaborate than handing out 20,000 free fake mustaches to people who come to the ballpark—which, according to an old blog item on the SNY Web site, is what the network did a couple of years ago at Shea Stadium to celebrate the fact that Hernandez had won "Top Sports Mustache of All Time" honors from the American Mustache Institute. (In case you're not familiar with its work, the institute is dedicated to "protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans by promoting the growth, care and culture of the mustache.") In the unlikely event that Keith ever shaves off his mustache, New Yorkers can mess with his mind by pretending that he never had one in the first place, thus recapitulating the premise of a weird French movie from a couple years ago called La Moustache. —Posted by Mark Dolliver |
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Published on April 30, 2009 | Permalink
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Pedroia defeats Goliath in new Dunkin' spot
American League MVP Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox enhances his performance with a turbo-shot-infused Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee in this spot by Hill, Holliday. The Biblical theme caught me off-guard. It's not like he plays for the Angels or the Padres. And given baseball's doping controversies, the idea of a batter ingesting anything to pump up his prowess seems risky. Maybe it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, or edgy. Still, it's great to see Mark McGwire getting some work as Goliath! I guess freakishly bulking up on steroids pays off after all. |
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Published on April 27, 2009 | Permalink
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Seattle Mariners live up to new ads, for now
With the Seattle Mariners perched atop the standings in the American League West—a phenomenon unlikely to persist for long, if the team's showing last year is any indication—this would be a propitious time to check out the franchise's 2009 TV commercials. Fans have been invited to vote to pick their favorite spot. Ad-agency types might take the opportunity to vote for anything other than the execution in which the "creative force" behind years of Mariners commercials turns out to be a chimp. For baseball fans, it's worth it just to get a glimpse of Jay Buhner's shiny bald head again. As it has done for years (with or without simians), Copacino+Fujikado of Seattle created the campaign. —Posted by Mark Dolliver |
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Published on April 17, 2009 | Permalink
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PlayStation thinks Dustin Pedroia is a hack
There's so much to enjoy in this new "Dustin vs. PlayStation" campaign by Deutsch for the MLB '09: The Show video game. First, it's got Dustin Pedroia, the unlikely American League MVP and just-as-unlikely pitchman, arguing with the makers of the game over how it's been programmed: namely, that his avatar can't hit the high-and-inside fastball. The Red Sox second baseman insists he can indeed hit it, and he wouldn't be polishing his MVP trophy if he couldn't. Even better: His nemesis in the campaign is PlayStation's "director of game accuracy," played by the hilarious dude from the Holiday Inn commercials—the one who tells his buddies to "bring it down a notch" when they're hassling Joe Buck in the hotel bar, and who later falls asleep in the tanning bed. The PlayStation channel on YouTube currently only has these two spots: the "Dustin vs. PlayStation" ad above and the "Joe the Fan" spot below (possibly starring David Gianatasio in the role of Joe). There are a bunch more on the way. Hopefully the Holiday Inn guy will make whale sounds in at least one of them. |
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Published on March 17, 2009 | Permalink
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Lincecum's avatar is more likable than he isThis commercial from Ground Zero for 2K Sports stars reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and his animated counterpart from the popular MLB 2K9 video game. Adweek's Eleftheria Parpis hits it out of the park (sorry) when she notes: "While one is flesh and blood and the other a video game character, the silent Tim, even with all his awkward movements and vacant eyes, ends up coming across as more likable." The real pitcher does seem awfully cranky and uptight. Maybe he just got traded to Pittsburgh—that'd spoil anyone's day. The avatar is eager to please, quick to learn and, like all right-thinking people, he's a Wang Chung fan. Sign that software-generated doppleganger to a long-term deal. He won't demand five-star hotels and limos, just the occasional reboot and upgrade. And the only "juice" in his system will be of the AC variety. (I hear it gives his fastball a little extra zip!) |
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Published on March 4, 2009 | Permalink
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Jimmy Rollins pounded by balls for Dick'sPhillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins gives an amusing performance in this Wieden + Kennedy co-op spot for Nike and Dick's Sporting Goods. Rollins flinches ever so slightly and grunts in quasi-orgasmic fashion as baseballs shot from a pitching machine careen off his body. The message: in sports, performance and pain are intrinsically linked. Fantasy baseball owners know it's true. Especially those of us who drafted JR in the first round for $40, only to see him spend April on the disabled list and hit just .277 for the year. Aww, does your widdle spwained ankle hurt, Jimmy? Suck it up this season! Who feels my pain when the dweebs in accounting finish first and win all my hard-earned pay? |
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Published on February 19, 2009 | Permalink
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Hope is one thing the Cubs will always have
The Chicago Cubs are such losers. They haven't won a World Series since 1908. And they'll be watching the Fall Classic on TV this year as well. Perhaps on the big-screen TV at Alfonso Soriano's place, gathered around the gimpy outfielder as he recovers from the latest hangnail that's forced him to the disabled list. But hope springs eternal, so the club has launched a campaign from local shop Jones that shows the marquee at Wrigley Field splashed with nonsense like, "Home of the Reason You Put Up With the Winters" and "Home of Coming Back From Meetings with a Sunburn." Best of all is: "Home of the 2 Hour and 47 Minute Vacation." Does it really take almost three hours to get drubbed 15-0 by the Bronx Bombers? We'll find out April 3-4 at New Yankee Stadium, an ultra-modern, super-high-tech, state-of-the-art facility with Jumbotrons that appreciate the basic rules of usage and grammar. A-Rod: 'roid free in '09. Go Yanks! —Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on February 13, 2009 | Permalink
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Twins players helping to build new ballpark
The Minnesota Twins debuted the spot above during local coverage of the Super Bowl. It features many of the team's stars, like Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan, delivering equipment to the franchise's new ballpark, which is under construction and set to open in 2010. Where will they play this season—some playground in St. Paul? The spot does get mileage out of the sluggers hauling the lumber, while the pitchers supply the gas and heat and have what it takes to paint the corners. That's a lot of italics, but ad shop Periscope worked hard to be clever, and I wouldn't want you to miss the jokes. What's with the '70s flute soundtrack, though? It makes the ad seem like an episode of The Streets of San Francisco. Maybe that's where the Twins will play this year! Now, at the new Yankee Stadium, you'll hear Hammond organ music, and techno when the younger players come to bat. Just like the baseball gods intended. Go Yanks in '09! |
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Published on February 3, 2009 | Permalink
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Twins miss Santana already ... in their ads
—Posted by David Gianatasio |
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Published on March 11, 2008 | Permalink
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