Jordan Commercial in Paris, France – The Music, the Stars, and More

Is there anyone or anything more iconic than Michael Jordan? Well, Dolly Parton but that’s beside the point. The next most iconic thing might be the Eiffel Tower so to have the well-known structure appear in an ad with the well-known basketball legend, well that’s a recipe for an iconic commercial. Check out the stars, the music, and the GOAT (not LeBron!) in the ad then scroll down for more info…

The Music. How do the sayings go? If you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band. And if you’re gonna play ball in Paris, you gotta use a French song… something like that, I’m sure. Although the lyrics are in French, the familiar melody in the song called “Mes joies quotidiennes” is from the The Sound of Music soundtrack, where it’s called “My Favorite Things.”

Here’s the version from The Sound of Music, plus a contemporary song from Ariana Grande that uses the same melody (and also kind of did something illegal with the song… allegedly).

Of course, you can’t mention this song without including a version we hear at Christmastime each season. For a more in-depth dive into how the song became a holiday classic, check out Billboard’s article about it.

The Stars. Appearing in the commercial are Teyana Taylor, Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Rema, Gabby Williams, and of course, Michael Jordan.

Mixing the song with a hip-hop beat was a clever move and gives the melody an enjoyable makeover fitting for an audience of basketball fans in 2023. Overall, it’s a good ad that will do well for the brand or at the very least, it won’t hurt it. How you do feel about the commercial? Is there a particular reason it was shot in Paris instead of, say, anywhere in the United States?

-Out of the Wilderness

Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with Ben Affleck and… who?

I recently finished a sprint triathlon and some of the swag from the race included a gift card from Dunkin’ (the donut shop formerly known as “Dunkin’ Donuts”). How sweet of them, right? So today’s post is about Dunkin’s donut-box-full of ads featuring Ben Affleck and someone I don’t recognize. Check out one of the commercials, then scroll down for more info…

Sweet and Spicy. The donuts are sweet and she’s spicy. No, not one of the Spice Girls. That, in fact, wouldn’t be possible since she was born after the Spice Girls rose to fame. She’s Dunkin’ spokeswoman and rapper Ice Spice.

No Rules, Just Right. I’ve noticed over the years that with music, rules of grammar are generally out the window. Words that don’t really rhyme and phrases that should be plural, or not, are, or are not, used. Did anyone else pick up on it in the commercial above? Maybe I’m too nitpicky, sure, but when she said “my fans is called munchkins…” I shuddered. I’m not surprised there wasn’t a retake, though, since there are single individuals who now identify as they/them. Anything goes in 2023.

But Still. But still, a lot of people will find the commercials funny or endearing. Ben and Ice Spice seem to have some chemistry. His generation and hers, two becoming one.

I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want… I want to hear your comments about this collaboration with Mr. Afflect and Miss Spice. Chime in below! And if you want to see more of their commercials, check out the Dunkin’ YouTube page.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Coke Missed Field Goal Commercial

There are some commercials that seem to transcend time. I’m thinking of this Amazon commercial or numerous Publix commercials. For ages, this is how it feels to be a football fan in America: Highs. Lows. Drama. And then it’s second down. Yeah, one play can send you through the loop of every emotion. Especially when it’s a game-changing field goal attempt. Tell me you haven’t felt like these fans before…

This has got to go down as one of the best football-related commercials of all time. I’ve felt this way so many times. Sometimes there’s a flag thrown that changes everything, and gives needed relief, but sometimes not. I’m thinking about my formative years when the college team I loved missed kicks “wide right” more than once. And no yellow flag saved the day.

😭

How do you feel about the commercial? Is there any better way to show the joy, heartache, and absolute excitement that goes on in college football?

-Out of the Wilderness

Savannah, Georgia! My favorite Photos from October 2023.

I posted recently with all the photos that I love but didn’t quite make the list of favorites from this great trip to Savannah, Georgia. I was in town for the NEEDTOBREATHE/ Judah and the Lion show. Take a look at these photos that I love the most from this trip, and if you have a chance to visit, or see NEEDTOBREATHE or Judah and the Lion, do it.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Gap Holiday Commercial – The Music, The Celebs, and More

Hello and happy holidays… I know we’re not even past Halloween yet but if Gap gets to start doing Christmas, then I will, too, gosh darn it! And we all know Walmart’s had Christmas decorations up since July, let’s not kid ourselves. Speaking of holidays and gifts (The Gap commercial is called “Gifted”), check out my two children’s books Big and Small, God Made Them All, and The Brave Bamboo. Perfect stocking stuffer, if I do say so myself. 🤔

Here’s the ad from Gap, then scroll down for the celebs, the music, and more.

The Stars. I’ll be honest, I only recognized Alanis Morissette in the commercial. But I found a list of the folks featured in the ad. Along with Alanis, there’s authors Jay Shetty and Radhi Devlukia, culinary artists Lester Walker, Pierre Serrao and Jon Gray, model Florence Huntington-Whiteley, singer/songwriter Diana Gordon, model Elsa Hosk with her daughter Tuuli, Swedish model Sabina Karlsson and husband Ricky Jackson, plus actor/singer Rola.

Here’s an extended version of the commercial…

The Music. The soundtrack for this ad is a song from Roy Young called “One Love.”

The song’s also been used in this ad for 1-800-FLOWERS…

Wrap Up. The Gap commercial is a little bland, not really showing anything holiday related at all. But it’s got a feel-good vibe, thanks to the music, and I guess that fits with the Christmas season. Joy, happiness, all those fuzzy feelings we get around the holidays. What are your thoughts about the commercial? Does it make you want to dash out for a warm Gap sweater?

-Out of the Wilderness