GoPro’s Beautiful And Sad Polar Bear Video

GoPro is making a name for itself with inspired advertising that tells a story, while also showcasing their own product’s attributes. Much like last year’s heartwarming (and heartbreaking) kitten video, this is beautiful footage. GoPro uses its cameras to show a polar bear family swimming a long distance in the Arctic Ocean looking for sea ice, essential for their survival. It’s stunning, and very sad at the same time.

RIP Tony Gwynn

Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died of cancer today at the age of 54. He was one of the greatest pure hitters in baseball history, an all-around good guy, and somewhat of a rarity in that he spent his entire career with the the same team, the San Diego Padres. After hearing about his passing, I thought about this funny commercial from when I was a kid. It features Gwynn and teammate Bip Roberts discussing the value (or lack of value) of Bip’s rookie card. Here’s the video, and then a few more Tony Gwynn moments. The first is from the 1994 All-Star Game, where Gwynn scored the winning run with a mad dash on Moises Alou’s 10th inning double. The most exciting All-Star Game play I’ve ever seen. The second is Tony Gwynn’s 3000th hit, called by longtime Padres announcer Jerry Coleman, who also died this year.

 

“Dear Kitten” From Friskies Is Adorable

This advertisement for Friskies and created with Buzzfeed has hit a viral spot on the Internet, with more than 9 million views in less than a week. In it, a sardonic adult cat (voiced by Buzzfeed’s Executive Vice President Ze Frank) gives guiding words to a playful kitten who is new to the house. Very cute. Vacoom!

 

This Commercial Honors Native Americans, And Opposes The Washington Redskins Name

Sports teams using Native American/Indian names and mascots has been a divisive issue for a long time. Perhaps the most controversial use is by the Washington Redskins. In large part, it’s due to unpopular owner Dan Snyder and his absolute unwillingness to change the team name/mascot/logo. Back in January, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation of northern California made this video called “Proud To Be” about Native American heritage, featuring famous tribal nations and native people. The video ends with a pointed criticism of the Washington Redskins name. For obvious reasons, the NFL did not choose to air it during the Super Bowl. But tonight during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, a one-minute version of this video will be airing in seven major markets: Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington (it already aired in Miami during Game 2). Here’s the full version of “Proud To Be.”

It’s really well-done. Will it have an effect? Looking back, the last paper I wrote in college was on the Native American/Indian (the actual term is also a debate) team names. Somewhat paradoxically, I recall seeing a statistic that many more white people than natives were offended. I’m not sure it’s the same way now, because I wrote the paper six years ago, and that survey was from the late ’90s. But the tide seems to be changing. The Cleveland Indians, possibly the second-most criticized franchise on this topic, have de-emphasized the use of logo/mascot Chief Wahoo in recent years. The spot must have cost a whole lot to make, and even more to advertising in such a prime place in huge markets. One wonders how much of that money could have directly gone to help Native Americans, one of the most poverty-stricken groups in the nation. But if the point of this ad is to get us talking more about this issue, it definitely succeeds.

 

Beats By Dre Shows The Game Before The Game In This Dramatic World Cup Ad

I don’t find soccer that interesting, but the World Cup is a whole different beast. I’ve always liked the World Cup because the entire earth is transfixed on this one event. Beats by Dre is really making a name for itself with bombastic sports commercials, and they have another great one here, created by R/GA. The spot concerns everything that happens before the actual game…the superstitions, the preparations, the pageantry, the psychology. All of that of course leads up to a spectacle that the entire world will be watching. It stars soccer players such as Brazil’s Neymar, who I don’t really know (but might know much better soon), and also cameos that will be more familiar to the typical American audience, like LeBron James, Lil Wayne, and Serena Williams among others. The booming song in the video is “Jungle” by X Ambassadors and Jamie N Commons. If watching this doesn’t make you excited, I don’t know what will.