What is better than sports nostalgia? Nothing. That’s why these new “This Is SportsCenter” commercials are blowing up on Twitter. While there has just been one new release so far, it’s great to know that these spots are back.
The beauty of “This Is SportsCenter” commercials is simple – what if athletes and mascots and media members all worked in the same fictional office building? Well, it turns out, folks love the idea.
Featuring members of the USWNT – Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Sophia Smith snack on orange slices with Nicole Briscoe of SportsCenter. A time-honored tradition on American soccer fields everywhere. However, someone is taking it personally…
Sports television doesn’t get any better than that. Give me mascots interacting with people any day of the week. If you make them fight, that’s even better. A continuation of the mascot vs. the rest of the office dynamic we’ve seen in the past. Who can forget the New Jersey Devil commercials?
The SportsCenter commercial was great. It fit right in with the feeling and aesthetic of previous sports. Poor Otto the Orange, though. He’s gotta work in that hostile environment. Will anyone think of the giant orange with hands and feet? Cuse fans, just look away.
ESPN Excited About SportsCenter Commercials
The folks at ESPN are ready to roll these new spots out. There is no telling what will come out in the future. With a strong start like this, we could be seeing some more classic “This Is SportsCenter” moments very soon.
“‘This is SportsCenter’ is iconic, and a campaign that everyone knows and loves,” ESPN’s Laura Gentile said. “It is at the core of who we are at ESPN, and we’re thrilled it’s returning at a key time in the sports calendar. ‘This is SportsCenter’ featured timeless creative dating back to the mid-1990s, and it’s our job to uphold this standard and build upon it in new ways.”
There’s a lot that ESPN gets wrong, but this is so right. Let’s start putting all the new stars in these SportsCenter commercials. There’s a whole new generation of athletes to feature and tap into their comedic talents for 15 seconds or so.
