AD outdoes Shyamalan w/ Surprise Ending

In 1863 Vin Mariani, a popular European drink of the time, became the first drink to be endorsed by a celebrity. Since then, businesses have been pursuing celebrities of all types to promote their brand. In the sports world, it’s all about the getting the best athletes to promote your product. I daresay brands like Nike or Under Armor would not be as dominating as they are today without the celebrities they’ve collaborated with over the years. Recently, Gatorade has been airing an advertisement called “Fixation” that stars Miami’s Dwyane Wade and OCK’s Kevin Durant. In the AD spot, Durant is blocked at the rim by Wade which then wakes Durant from an apparent nightmare and inspires him to train hard while hydrating with Gatorade. We are then taken back to the final seconds of the championship game where we see Durant getting his revenge on Wade. Finally, in an almost Twilight Zone inspired revelation, Wade wakes up from his nightmare. I enjoyed this commercial so much I tweeted about it and was surprised and delighted to see Gatorade “favorite” my post, which then inspired me to write about what I enjoyed most about Gatorade’s advertisement. 

Through the years, many companies have taken advantage of the “versus” ads. Michael Jordan and Larry Bird battled for the rights to a bag of McDonalds, Converse brought Bird and Magic together for the first time, LeBron and Howard played for another McDonalds value meal, and Gatorade let Michael Jordan compete against the only person that could possibly beat him; himself at 23 years old. This type of commercial resonates with the fans because it shows that athletes have a sense of humor about the rivalries augmented by the media. These commercials essentially depict situations that are commonly discussed among fans. I mean, I have always wondered if a 23 year old Michael would make a 39 year old Michael look like every NBA star from 1991 – ‘93 and 1996 – ‘98. So, fans can instantly connect with these kinds of commercials and the brand can reap the rewards.

Next, I enjoyed the depiction of what it means to be a professional athlete and the importance of the competitive spirit. We all have a desire to be the best at what we do despite our career choice and we will always have to improve in order fend off any challengers. Wade and Durant are both superstar players with strong competitive spirits and a dramatic history. It’s the perfect seed for a great narrative, which Gatorade executed brilliantly. 

Finally, with the Playoffs quickly approaching, I’d like to take this time to say “Go Heat!”