They point to the sky after scoring. The cameras cut to fans praying as the free throw is attempted. Players join hands in prayer with opponents at midfield when the game’s over. So mentioning God in shoe ads seems like the next logical step for athletes, no? First time I can recall any brand, product or celebrity bringing up religion in a spot like this where the ad wasn’t for the Lutheran church or some other denomination.That’s not a bad thing, I’m just saying. So why not do it more. Check out the gorgeously shot spot called ‘Faith’ and others by director Spike Lee, found on the Converse site here featuring Kobe’s replacement Dwyane Wade. (Wait for the page to load, then follow the ‘As seen on TV’ section.) Straight-forward, B&W and low-key. Just like Nike used to be and Reebok’s aiming for.
Not sure if this will start a trend of others professing their faith, or even if brands allow that message to be heard for fear of not wanting to inject religion into the message. But I don’t think it would be a bad thing to do it more though. Nice to hear an athlete like D-Wade talk about postive inspiration instead of the He Hate Me attitude of why fans don’t love them.
Tags: advertising, Converse, Kobe Bryant, Spike Lee, Dwyane Wade
6 comments:
I think it's a good thing, too, and it certainly couldn't hurt the NBA's bad-boy image... Nice post.
I don't think it is a bad thing as long as it isn't taken to far and people start believing that Christianity is the ONLY religion that is acceptable. There are many religions out there including Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and lesser known regional ones. Will they all be accepted if the athletes only show Christianity and Catholicism?
Unless I missed it, Wade talks about "faith" and "God," never even bringing up Christ. And the first athletes I know of (my reference frame may be pretty limited) for whom faith was ever a public issue were non-Christians, namely Sandy Koufax and Muhammad Ali. I think our whole country continues to benefit from the example those men set -- from their dignity, grace and commitment to their faiths. Theirs were public displays but did anyone fear intolerance for Christians? I tend to not get afraid when athletes talk about their faith or their God. The fact that they're sure of their beliefs doesn't seem to make them intolerant of others. Maybe just the opposite, since most are humble and respectful about it.
cb - thanks. Too true. I think all sports are in damage control mode for a lot of on- and off-the-field antics.
drc - goodpoint. I'm wondering if this opens up the floodgates for others, not just Christians.
id - I liked in the spot that it was very natural, not in your face. Maybe having Spike shoot it helped bring it out that way, maybe not. But in a way, it feels like he's doing for Converse what he did for Nike.
As long as you are invoking the name of the non-offensive American generic "God", you're fairly safe. Any footage that might include Wade saying "Jesus" would never have made the final spot.
yb - yeah, perhaps. God is probably a good first step in testing the waters for this sort of thing. Jesus would likely make it too specific.
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