Have you seen the new Red Bull Commercial? You know, the one with Travis Rice absolutely slaying the mountain, and at the end landing probably the biggest, spinning flipping trick ever performed on a snowboard? He truly is the best snow master in the land right now. He seems to be the most intent on pulling of acrobatics that make your head spin. One could make a convincing argument for Shaun White as the best on a board. But for my money, the park stuff is more impressive than the half pipe. And T. Rice’s big mountain stuff is the trump card.
But the reason I ask if you have seen the new commercial, is because Travis Rice delivers the famous Red Bull tag line EXACTLY like Kenny Powers would do. I don’t believe the world of Red Bull is ready for a fictional, obscenity laced, overweight, mullet rocking baseball pitcher. But if those plans were in the works, go ahead and scratch them off after the Rice commercial.
My take on Travis Rice is this. He is a young guy at the top of his game. But, like those absolutely stunning models you finally hear interviewed, you wish they wouldn’t talk so much. Rice seems to have an ego that is unmatched in the industry. I don’t know the man, but this is the impression I have gathered over watching nearly every interview the guy has ever given. In his big movie, “That’s it, That’s All”, he comes off as an arrogant know-it-all. And it was entirely his movie, executive producer and all. You would think he would make himself out a little more humble. Personally, I wish I could maintain the stoke I get from watching him shred without the letters DB popping into my head when he speaks. Oh, well.
The best action sports commercials are the new Go Pro camera spots. They are beautiful. They are stunning, and the best part is that those cameras really work that way. Maybe it’s because I am a huge Beastie Boys fan, but that fish eye lens look in HD and slow motion is absolutely gorgeous. I definitely suggest you become a fan of Go Pro on facebook, so that you can see the cool daily videos and photos they post. A highlight of my day for sure.
I do love the Red Bull commercials as well. Travis Pastrana jumping the rally car is great, and people still bring up Shaun White’s secret half pipe to me to this day. They also have the best brand presence and prettiest helicopters I have ever seen.
The fact is, action sports is a billion dollar segment of industry. Advertising is bound to follow. Companies that should have no direct business in a sport are now investing some of the most money (big red circles forming bull’s-eye logos come to mind). And with that, we get commercials. It’s a good thing. Would you rather see someone named Snookie holding a pistachio? For me, the answer is clear.
