11/05/24
March 26, 2006
Ben Johnson, Cheetah spokesman: It sounds like something from the Onion, but it appears to be for real. Cheetah Energy Drink is introducing two new spots featuring Canada's most infamous cheater.
"Ben, when you run, do you Cheetah?"
"Absolutely! I Cheetah all the time!"
it's funny! and ... we're talking about it....so it works....all publicity is good publicity.
posted by tommybiden at 09:21 PM on March 26, 2006
Sounds like a bad (or good) Marx brothers routine.
posted by commander cody at 10:46 PM on March 26, 2006
Cheetah? oh I thought you said cheater,,,,, My bad
posted by doggstarr at 12:25 AM on March 27, 2006
All publicity is not necessarily good publicity for the subject. For instance: "Hitler Found in Living in Argentina" is not good publicity for Adolph. Though I think the case R. Kelly may support your theory, better.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:40 AM on March 27, 2006
Poor Ben. Has anyone seen him around lately? He hangs out at strange bars in North Toronto and hits on girls half his age in frayed psuedo warm-up gear. I'm sure he was very very available to do this ad, no matter what the personal implications for him. And the ad actually is supportive of him, essentially supporting him despite his cheating, rather than really making fun of him. That guy though, the president of the company (that also makes beer) is annoying as hell. He's also in those ads with all the old-time hockey players, and some ad about his beer's appeal to women. He's like a new Mel Lastman.
posted by loquax at 10:36 AM on March 27, 2006
I remember seeing Ben at my local - he was still tearing around in the Ferrari he bought with the license plate 9.84. I think this and his latest job teaching Quaddafi's son how to run have kept him pretty busy. What a weird life. That jackass beer merchant who has those goddamn Phil Esposito commercials needs to be put to sleep.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:12 AM on March 27, 2006
That ad is idiotic. It's not even effective in its idiocy. [Black and white. Shot of a hockey locker room full of guys too far away to be immediately recognizable. Somebody is talking but we can't tell who.] SPEAKER: So, uh, hockey, and something about me being lucky, and masha masha masha wusha wusha blah blah mumble. [Vaguely recognizable close-ups of the other people in the room who are all hockey players who we feel we should be better at recognizing, but there are too many of them and the camera is of too poor quality and moves too quickly to render recognition feasible.] SPEAKER: Uh, something about beer, and mumble mumble gusha something in a vaguely rural Ontario accent. [General laughter.] SOMEBODY ELSE: Hey Frank, uh, so who's got a bigger head, you or your beer? [Silence.]
posted by DrJohnEvans at 11:53 AM on March 27, 2006
If presented with that script, I would have no choice but to greenlight it.
posted by fabulon7 at 01:06 PM on March 27, 2006
Greenlight it? Is that all? I'd be asking how many points I can have. Only if we could get David Lynch to direct, mind.
posted by owlhouse at 01:23 PM on March 27, 2006
I think that's Steelhead, isn't it? If so, that fellow who spent the dough renting Hall of Fame friends should spend a little on R&D, as most of his products taste like ass.
posted by wfrazerjr at 01:30 PM on March 27, 2006
I always like it when athletes/celebs accept their mistakes, and then try to tell their disenfranchised fans that they have done just that through humor. I'm not sure that this is what is happening here, but I certainly would not want to judge Ben Johnson for his decision to make this commercial. I say as long as he is honest, and accepting of his wrongs that he is right by me.
posted by everett at 04:04 PM on March 27, 2006
Hilarious......they must have laughed their ass off at the ad agency when they thought of that angle. My guess is they're thinking about a baseball player for the next ad.......
posted by eccsport78 at 05:23 PM on March 27, 2006
I fucking hate Frank D'Angelo and his shitty commercials for his shitty products. This campaign. The freaking old timer hockey stars in a locker room commercial. Those old Tie Domi and Wendel Clark ads for his apple juice. That stupid one with the "wow that IS big" chick. UGH.
posted by mkn at 06:25 PM on March 27, 2006
Wow, that makes me want to go out and buy a whole bunch of Cheetah drinks. What the hell were they thinking?