I was debating with a co-worker today about the best Sprite commercials of all time and he mentioned Grand Puba as his favorite. I brought up Voltron as my favorite. To be honest I really hoped that DMX would have been the last (the head). However, now that I’m an adult I realize that Afrika was the best choice.

What is yours?

So sad.

The build up was brilliant. Sprite incited great anticipation through the Slam Dunk Contest promos. They had my mouth watering for the taste of a dunk that erased the memory of Dwight Howard’s cape.

Maybe it was too much pressure for the young guns to handle. Now the NBA has to reassess the Slam Dunk contest. Is it a stretch to say that the NBA should focus on its core events? I mean seriously, “Horse.” It was so nonchalant, I took a nap.

To the NBA I say,
Don’t let the greatness of the Slam Dunk contest fade. Try to institute some “Creative Dunking 101″ and “201″ classes. Because at the end of the day when the product doesn’t match the hype, we all lose. Some lose more than others.

To Sprite,
Maybe next year, justice will be done to your great promos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k1b8s1VfMQ

I took a slight hiatus…Pardon the quality.

Feb 13th is too far away, so I present to you the bootleg version of the latest Sprite commercial (featuring Drake). It seems the Coca-Cola Company would like you to believe that Sprite can give you that ‘spark’ to create, do, and make something happen. I think the masses will like the spot. I even dig the strategy that (probably) went into the brief. I wonder if a high quality version will leak before February 13th. In the meantime, enjoy Sprite’s decision to play the commercial before films at select movie theaters.

Credits

Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York
Chief Creative Officer: Kevin Roddy
Creative Director: Amee Shah & Matt Ian
Art Director: Erik Holmdahl
Copywriter: Beth Ryan
Head Of Broadcast: Lisa Setten
Producer: Jennifer Moore

Production Company: aWHITELABELproduct, Los Angeles
Executive Producer: Ellen Jacobson-Clarke, Annique Decaestecker
Director: Ben Steiger Levine
Line Producer: Lynn Zekanis
DP: Chris Soos

VFX: Mass Market
Executive Producer: Rich Rama
Producer: Aleen Kim
Assistant Producer: Adam Coffia
Assistant Producer: Tom Knight
Designer: Greg Herman, Derek Stratton
CG Supervisor: Pakorn B.
CG Lead Artist: Ed Manning
CG Artist: David Barosin, Jimmy Gass, Keith Kim, Eban Byrne, Ciaran Maloney
CG Modeler: Tom Cushwa
CG/Nuke Artist: Adam Flynn
Lead Flame Artist: Nick Tanner
Flame Artist: Julian Ford, Mark French, Sarah Eim, David Parker, Joanne Ungar, John Ciampa
Jr Flame Artist: Jeen Leen, Dan Bojoulian

Editorial Company: Cut + Run, New York
Executive Producer: Angie Aguilera
Producer: Beth Fitzpatrick
Editor: Steve Gandolfi

Telecine Facility: Company 3, New York
Telecine Artist: Tom Poole

Audio Facility: Sound Lounge, Nyc
Audio Engineer: Tom Jucarone

Music Company: Squeak E Clean Productions
Executive Producer: Zach Sinick
Track Arranged By: Brent Nichols & Rusty Logsdon
Sound Designer: Steve Mccarty
Music: Title: “Forever”, Drake

Endtag Animation Company: Brand New School, Los Angeles
Executive Producer: Ned Brown
Producer: Garrett Braren
Art Director: Ludovic Shorno

(Updated: 2.12.10)

Client: Sprite

Artist: Drake

Agency: BBH NY

ECD Kevin Roddy

CD: Amee Shah & Matt Ian

Director: Ben Steiger Levine

Production Company: MassMarket

(Updated 2.8.10)

Thanks Phred for the vid