YouTube Gold: Another Great Jordan Commercial

A technical masterpiece of an ad

After we featured Michael Jordan’s original Gatorade commercial Tuesday, complete with the classic “Be Like Mike” song, we saw this gem and it’s too good not to post for Wednesday.

This one is a Super Bowl spot featuring Jordan vs. Jordan - an older MJ versus a much younger Jordan with the Bulls.

The younger Jordan is bouncier and more athletic, but the older Michael, with years of experience, knowledge and savage trickery, just does things that his younger self is not prepared to deal with.

It’s a brilliant ad technically and we have no idea whatsoever how they did this, but presumably it’s all CGI. Soon, perhaps imminently, kids will do things like this with AI and simple commands. Can you imagine? “AI, take Michael Jordan and have him play Kobe Bryant one-on-one on an aircraft carrier in orbit around the moon.”

This ad came before that capacity and is a real milestone creatively and technically.

It ends with the UNC-era Jordan walking out to take his turn and old MJ’s reaction is pretty great.

All in all, it does a great job of showing advertising at its best - creative, playful, and something that draws you in. Gatorade is the point of the whole thing and you know it’s there, but they don’t have to hammer you over the head with it to make the connection.