Sports
They have at least four years to prepare, tons of resources to devote to the cause and the knowledge the world will be watching.
So why is it that, every time the Olympics roll around, so many advertisers trot out the same familiar formula: the montage of dramatic athletes' images accompanied by a lush musical score and/or a deep-voiced narrator?
Even before the opening ceremony’s fiery conclusion, too many of this season’s Olympic ads had started to blend together into one seemingly indistinguishable montage, separated only by Bob Costas and the actual Olympic events.
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| VISA |
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The video circulating the Internet these days looks at first like any other snippet of a minor league baseball game, right down to the announcer’s play-by-play banter.
Then comes a hit to left field and, out of nowhere, the ball girl executes an amazing, Spiderman-like move up the wall to catch the foul ball, tossing it nonchalantly back to a flabbergasted player before taking her seat again.
At this point, the 39-second video seems more like one of those outtakes you might see replayed endlessly on the big screen between innings. In fact, the video in question is an ad for Gatorade, although your only hint that that’s the case is a bottle of the sports drink that the ball girl sips upon taking her seat again.
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When most companies want to sell a product, they try to tell you how fun the product is, how much you need it (even if you never realized it!) or how much more you’ll like doing your favorite activities because you have this great, new item.
The running shoe company New Balance is trying a different approach.
The company’s latest campaign, which launched during the NCAA basketball tournament, begins with an image many can relate to – a man sleeping soundly, only to be forced out of bed for the sake of workout.
“You are in a relationship with running. A love/hate relationship,” the narrator intones.
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| New Balance |
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