Let's take a break from the pre-Super Bowl ad madness to take a look at a spot for that other big February sporting event—that's right, we're talking about the Sochi Winter Olympics—that might be just as good as any of the best ads we'll see this Sunday.
Over the next few weeks, JCPenney will be encouraging customers to round up purchases to the nearest dollar to support the U.S. Olympic Committee. To promote the campaign, Penney came up with an extremely random but also sort-of-genius concept: an Olympics-themed remake (by EVB and Victors & Spoils) of Blackstreet's 1996 hip-hop classic "No Diggity" featuring alpine skier (and 2006 gold medal winner) Ted Ligety. And if that's not bizarre-slash-wonderful enough for you, the retailer got Blackstreet's own C. Black to perform it and star in the video.
"Go Ligety" loosely parodies Blackstreet's original "No Diggity" video, but with JCPenney being a family brand and all, there are some pretty major changes: Rather than having scantily clad video girls emerge from a limo, the "Go Ligety" backup dancers are a group of minivan-driving suburban moms. Instead of lyrics like "Strictly bitch, you don't play around/Cover much ground, got game by the pound," we get, "There is no better way/To say hooray for Team USA." And this time, the puppet version of C. Black has a friend: a Lil' Ligety marionette!
A word of advice before watching this spot: Be prepared to have "Go Ligety" stuck in your head for the next 24 hours. That is, if you haven't started humming it already.
Credits below.
CREDITS
Client: JCPenney
Spot: "Go Ligety"
Agency: EVB, Victors & Spoils
Group Creative Directors: Steve Babcock, Noah Clark
Creative Directors: Rich Ford, David Gonsalves
Art Director: Zack Roif
Executive Integrated Producer: Lisa Effress
Account Director: Lynn Harris
Account Manager: Mike Dusman
Production Company: World War Seven
Director: Shillick
Executive Producer (Production Company): Josh Ferrazzano
Producer (Production Company): Mike Begovich
Director of Photography: Max Gutierrez
Postproduction: Coyote Post
Editor: Jared Varava
Assistant Editor: David Monoco
Music Company: Beacon Street Studios
Music Producer: Caitlin Rocklen
Musician, Singer: Chauncey Black
Licensed Track: No Diggity
Arrangers: Mike Franklin, Dewey Thomas
Sound Designer: Mike Franklin
Visual Effects Company: Coyote Post
Visual Effects Producer: Heidi Spencer
Colorist: Paul Byrne
Business Affairs: Platinum Rye
Planners: Carlisle Hensley, Sara Smith
Choreographer: Michael Franklin
Puppeteer: Michelle Zamora