Hasta La Creative!

BBDO New York and Foot Locker continue their extended winning streak with this just-released spot in which Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook promotes the client’s new Air Jordan line:

We like that the spot plays on multiple sportswear ad tropes as well as the mistaken but long-held belief that the right pair of sneakers can actually make one better at basketball (which has always been the not-so-secret selling point behind the Air Jordan line and all other celebrity-sponsored shoes).

The Spike Lee cameo is a nice touch as well.

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BBDO New York taps Houston Rockets star James Harden and retired NBA greats Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen for a funny new spot entitled “Short Memory,” which promises to be the first in a series.

When Harden asks Barkley for advice on starting the new season fresh, Barkley explains that all the greats have short memories. Harden asks if that means Barkley forgot about it if he had a bad game, to which Barkley replies that he never had a bad game. Harden persists with a series of questions, until Barkley cuts him off, seeing that he doesn’t get it, and turns to Scottie Pippen for help. Pippen perfectly encapsulates Barkley’s point, declaring himself the greatest Chicago Bull ever — which would be true with a parenthetical “(available for selection in NBA Jam).”

It’s a clever spot, making good use of Barkley’s comedic potential, even if Harden comes across a bit stiff in comparison. Pippen’s tongue-in-cheek boast alone gives “Shot Memory” viral potential, which the spot already seems to be fulfilling. It has racked up almost 600,000 views since being posted yesterday. Stick around for credits after the jump. (more…)

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Here’s an update on the James Harden/Stephen Curry commercial-pretending-to-be-a-music-video we covered last week: while Harden may have uncorked his vocal cords first, Curry is back with an unsavory r&b diss track that has more blues than rhythm. Foot Locker and BBDO New York seem to be having some fun with this one, right down to the purposefully low-budget video effects. I’m not sure whose voice is worse, but both of them are really, really bad singers, and that makes this campaign all the better. A little tea with honey for next time, guys? Anyway, grab some earplugs and listen up.

Credits after the jump.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

BBDO New York and Foot Locker know that Clippers forward/dunker Blake Griffin is a commercial machine – Subway, Kia, Jordan Brand to rattle off a few quickly. So for their latest joint venture, “The Endorser,” the creatives decided to physically hook up Griffin to a machine called The Endorser as if he were programmed to place products. For some Lob City support, Clippers point guard/whiner Chris Paul steps in as a foil to turn off the machine and show us the difference between Real Blake and Robot Blake.

The spot is another smart and self-aware sports bit that takes advantage of an athlete’s public persona through subversion. Griffin is usually stone-faced or arrogantly posturing on the court after huge dunks, but he’s built up a quiet niche as a funnyman on television. Just see this Grantland piece from March that discusses why Blake’s comedy is more complex than you might think. The only issue with Blake is overexposure, like, when his sponsorship brands debut separate commercials within the same week. His Jordan “Blake and Drain” spot, which alludes to MJ and Spike Lee ads from twenty years ago, is even better than the Footlocker commercial. And for that reason, “The Endorser” might get lost in the ever-expanding Blake Griffin commercial merry-go-round. Credits after the jump.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.