Serena's bad temper will star in Tampax ads
Serena Williams needn't worry about losing endorsement deals after threatening to force-feed a tennis ball to a lineswoman at the U.S. Open. Procter & Gamble just signed her up for a brand-new Tampax campaign. According to the press release, "Williams will be featured in a series of playful, lighthearted advertisements and online videos. In each piece, Williams defeats Tampax's Mother Nature character, who tries to deliver her 'monthly gift' in an unsuccessful attempt to throw Williams off her game—on and off the tennis court." She doesn't defeat Mother Nature so much as fire tennis balls at her, which is more believable now than it might have been a month ago. This deal was clearly in the works before the Open, and Serena's actions actually suit Tampax's ad themes of empowerment fairly well. The campaign is part of the brand's larger commitment to celebrating women who "live life on their own terms every day." |
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Published on September 22, 2009 | Permalink
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Serena outburst foreshadowed in her promo
Lots of top tennis players filmed ads this summer for the U.S. Open Series under the tagline, "It must be love." But of course, Serena Williams had to turn the feel-good theme around and make her 30-second clip all about fighting! Watch as the little Serena doll not only brandishes her racket at the Venus doll but actually beats her down with it. Look for a linesperson doll and a PG-13 rating for next year's clip. |
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Published on September 14, 2009 | Permalink
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Does Adidas not care about Melanie Oudin?
Melanie Oudin's success at the U.S. Open appears to have taken even her sponsor, Adidas, by surprise. The unheralded young American, who has reached the quarterfinals by defeating three highly ranked Russians in a row, has been getting extra attention for her funky yellow-and-pink Adidas sneakers, which she customized herself at the Mi Adidas site. It's a marketer's dream—she even put the word "Believe" on the shoe, where lesser mortals would have just put their name. But Adidas doesn't seem to be doing much to capitalize. The Mi Adidas homepage still shows Sam Querrey, the other young American whom Adidas invited to wear customized shoes for this Open. He lost on Saturday. (Oudin does front the women's section of the site, and the yellow-and-pink model is the default, so that's a start.) Meanwhile, over at the main Adidas Tennis site, there's no sign of Oudin at all. The focus there is on Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina and Caroline Wozniacki. Ivanovic and Safina both crashed out of the tournament already. Wozniacki, from Denmark, will play Oudin in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, and will be public enemy No. 1 for a day in New York. Sure, Oudin's success could be fleeting—all the more reason to move quickly. Adidas needs to step it up, or someone else might swoop in. As you can see below, it's awfully easy to whip up a quick Nike ad. UPDATE: An Adidas rep e-mailed. She says the Mi Adidas site was "in the process of being updated as you were posting." And indeed, Oudin is now on the homepage. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on September 8, 2009 | Permalink
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Yesterday's stars never die in U.S. Open ads
Picture, if you will, a giant Billie Jean King, circa 1973, floating majestically over the Manhattan skyline to the strains of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." Until now, that's been a fantasy for aging feminists and lesbians, and a nightmare for the rest of us. But the Tennis Channel and BPG bring that image to life in this animated spot touting the network's inaugural coverage of the U.S. Open, starting this coming Monday. BJK ranks among the greatest pro athletes ever, male or female, and her role in breaking down gender stereotypes was profound. Still, we know she won't be playing at Flushing Meadows this year, so her appearance here, along with a vintage Jimmy Connors, underscores how starved the sport has become for charismatic superstars of late. What about Anna Kournikova? She wasn't so great on the court, but her leggy blondeness slashing across the clouds sure couldn't hurt this spot. Oh, and at one point, the Statue of Liberty grabs a racket. Our freedom-hating enemies overseas must be terrified! See also: |
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Published on August 27, 2009 | Permalink
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Sports stars line up to be Federer's fanboysNike has gotten pretty good at the quick-turnaround ads for major sports events, the most recent of which was Roger Federer's record-breaking 15th Grand Slam win this weekend. The charming homage shown above features an athletic A-list that only Nike could muster: Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, John McEnroe, Serena Williams and, of course, the dethroned-but-deferential Pete Sampras. I'm guessing that Andy Roddick would have been happy to make an appearance too, if he hadn't been busy fending off Federer in a showdown that lasted longer than a Francis Ford Coppola movie. —Posted by David Griner |
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Published on July 6, 2009 | Permalink
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BBH ready for British Wimbledon champion
Robinsons drinks and BBH London made a decent bet with this commercial, which has been airing during Wimbledon coverage in the U.K. over the past fortnight. It dreams of the moment when a British player will once again win the prestigious London tennis tournament. (The last British men's winner was Fred Perry in 1936; Virginia Wade won the women's draw in 1977.) The ad is a clear reference to Andy Murray, the Scotsman who's ranked No. 3 in the world. And sure enough, Murray is heading to Friday's semifinals. There, he meets Andy Roddick, the American player who so memorably screwed up AmEx's 2005 U.S. Open ad campaign by losing in the first round. UPDATE: Murray lost to Roddick on Friday. Oh well, there's always next year. |
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Published on July 2, 2009 | Permalink
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Novak Djokovic irresistible in Head.com ad
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, the world's third-ranked player behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, gets extremely loose in his first major outing for sports brand Head since the equipment and apparel company signed him in January. His nickname's Djoko, with a silent "D," and he's certainly more fun on camera than Federer, whose performance in that '70s-themed Gillette ad with Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter was as wooden as an antique racquet. In the Head spot, there's a cute set-up with Djoko going into the stands mid-point for some over-the-top flirtation with an attractive fan, and still having time to return his opponent's shot. The spot tries a bit too hard to be "outrageous" with nipple tassels and a recreation of a scene from Flashdance. Even so, it's extremely likable, and I didn't regret hanging in for the entire two minutes. If Head ever casts Anna Kournikova in a similar scenario, hopefully they'll keep the tassels. |
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Published on April 27, 2009 | Permalink
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