Sports and TV commercials are just like jelly and peanut butter; they simply belong together. How else can marketers fill the space between timeouts and half-time breaks if not through personalized ads that are carefully designed to get fans to spend more money? In fact, the commercials are sometimes even better when players or athletes are not on the field but on the TV. These commercials not only help them make some money on the side but also ramp up their celebrity status. And many of these commercials also turn out to be extremely popular and memorable.
So, here are 5 amazing commercials featuring sportspersons that blew our minds with their unmatched creativity.
1. Usain Bolt: Virgin Media
In 2016, Virgin Media showcased its fast internet speeds by drawing a comparison with Usain Bolt. The commercial shows how quickly 9.56 seconds can pass- the time taken by Bolt to complete 100 meters in 2009.
The commercial not only highlights the immense efforts that Bolt made to achieve this world record but also showcases the enormous national pride that his fellow Jamaicans felt for Bolt’s accomplishments. The impressive editing techniques used in the commercial also help to make it just as interesting as the time when the commercial was first aired.
2. Nike: LeBron James
In 2006, Nike ran an ad featuring four different versions of NBA superstar LeBron James.
This commercial spends so much time being hilarious that it almost forgets to endorse its product.
In the commercial, LeBron unleashes his humourous side, which has only grown since the commercial was first aired. While playing these four ridiculous characters, LeBron must have considered a career in Hollywood if basketball didn’t work out for him. After all, he’d do spectacularly well as a method actor.
3. Guitar Hero World Tour: Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Hawk, and Michael Phelps
This commercial became impossible to miss when Guitar Hero World Tour was released in 2008. The cooperative gameplay for up to four players in the Guitar Hero franchise was one of the best experiences video games had to offer at the time.
The commercial showcased this perfectly by bringing together four legendary athletes to form a rock band. The members included Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Hawk, and Michael Phelps while spoofing the iconic underwear dance scene from Risky Business.
4. Nike: Brazil Football Team
How do you kill off time at the airport? While most people tend to read books and listen to music, the Brazilian football team has a different style for doing so. The Seleçãos are known for their prowess at football and that’s exactly what they decided to do at the airport.
This commercial was shot just before Brazil began its 1998 World Cup campaign. The classic ad features the top footballers from the country dribbling past the security, passing ball through the conveyor belts and on the runways, only for Ronaldo to hit the post in the end. But some of the shots and passes were just too amazing to ignore although they didn’t translate into a goal.
5. Pepsi: Football and Cricket Stars
Imagine being witness to a game of cricket between Chelsea’s legendary trio of Drogba, Torres, and Lampard and cricketing stars like Kohli, Bhajji, and Raina- all of them battling it out amongst themselves for a can of Pepsi!
This funny commercial shows Pepsi mixing football and cricket in the best way possible. And guess what? The Chelsea trio almost pulled it off but someone special didn’t allow it to happen? Guess who?
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of the best commercials featuring sportspersons. Sportspersons, like actors, have a mass fan following. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising why brands sign them up to endorse their products. Several athletes and sportspersons have gone on to become brand ambassadors for various brands too. The trick lies in presenting to your target audience a version of their most loved stars that they have never seen before. Take your audience by surprise and these on-field stars will perform just as spectacularly in the commercial as they do on the field.
We’ll be back with more awesome commercials for you. Till then, stay tuned!