: 212 Following another NBA highlight featuring one of Jordan's slam dunks, the commercial cuts to a black child attempting a dunk with his tongue out like Jordan. The commercial begins with footage of Jordan during Game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he performs a difficult layup by moving the basketball from his right hand to his left while in midair. In subsequent years, the advertisement has been cited as one of the best sports commercials ever. While the advertisement did not drastically improve sales for Gatorade, it helped to further portray Jordan as a likable superstar, endearing him to children who wished to emulate his play. Originally broadcast on August 8, 1991, the commercial was warmly received by the public. Instead, he wrote lyrics and hired Ira Antelis and Steve Shafer to compose the song that would become the background music for the advertisement. Pitzel was inspired by the song " I Wanna Be Like You" from the Disney film The Jungle Book, but failed to secure the rights to use it. Created by advertising agency Bayer Bess Vanderwarker, it featured various children and adults playing basketball with Jordan, set to a song with lyrics about wishing one could be like the basketball player.Īs the first Gatorade commercial to feature Jordan, the concept for Be Like Mike originated from advertisement executive Bernie Pitzel.
Like mike commercial professional#
People truly did want to “be like Mike” and that’s why this commercial was so successful.Be Like Mike is a television advertisement for Gatorade starring American professional basketball player Michael Jordan. He didn’t have to be a textbook salesman, instead he just had to continue being cool and relevant, which he did. This was largely due to Jordan’s natural salesmanship. Gatorade’s decision to have Jordan appear in their commercials proved to be a shrewd business move as it helped launch the product into unprecedented success. But, he was more than just immensely successful, he was cool and colorful, an obvious choice for a product spokesman. Jordan was undoubtedly one of the most famous athletes in the world. Jordan had just been crowned the finals MVP, the regular season MVP, and the Bulls had won the NBA Championship. The commercial was first aired during the summer of 1991, right after the conclusion of the NBA’s 1990/1991 season. Michael Jordan and his highlights were all of these things. People generally desire association with things that are cool, exiting, dynamic, and culturally relevant. Jordan’s presence and highlights within the “Be Like Mike” commercial are unbelievably successful marketing tools. To the incredibly naïve, this commercial instead says, “drink Gatorade and you will be able to play basketball like Michael Jordan,” which will most assuredly not be the case. Michael Jordan likely does drink Gatorade, as do most athletes, and by drinking Gatorade, you are now more like him. In a sense, this commercial is emphasizing a truth. It does, however, deliver a clear and concise message – if you want to be like Michael Jordan, drink Gatorade. The commercial is overwhelmingly, almost sickening, pleasant. All the while, the viewer is being relentlessly hit with a bevy of famous Jordan highlights, cute kids/regular people trying to replicate his greatness, and generally amiable interactions between Jordan and others. Its creators craft an utterly happy atmosphere, one in which a plethora of distinct voices can be heard joyously singing phrases like “I want to be like Mike” and “Sometimes, I dream that he is me”. It may also represent the most shameless, albeit effective use of the sporting celebrity and the sporting highlight in a commercial to date. Gatorade’s “Be Like Mike” commercial is potentially the most iconic sports commercial of all time.