Why is this athlete smiling?

Sometimes you can use sports to sell stuff that has nothing to do with sports. Best example is probably the Super Bowl, but here's another. A wonderful campaign from Kuala Lumpur for a fabric softener.

No words, but do you get it? Of course you do. Tough guys unable to prevent themselves from hugging someone they should be pummeling because the should-be foe's uniform was washed in Softlan Eltra.

Another ad in the campaign is just as fun. Well done, Y&R Kuala Lumpur. Could you come over here and teach the GoDaddy and Sales Genie folks a few things?

The best sports ads aren't necessarily on your TV (Part 1)

Think you’re seeing the best sports advertising in the world as you lay on the couch flipping between the Maryland-Cal and Michigan State-Florida Atlantic games? Uh…no.

Check these out. Nike/Europe ads done by Weiden and Kennedy in Amsterdam, aimed at university aged women.

http://www.paranoidus.com/projects.php?p=250

If you live in the advertising world, you know Weiden and Kennedy. If you’re a brain surgeon or some other useless profession, Weiden is the agency that’s done just about all of the Nike advertising for just about ever, from the ground breaking Heritage spot to Bo Knows to Mars Blackmon to Frozen Moments. They don’t nail it every time, but over time, they’ve done it best.

Empowerment is the theme here. Not an earth shattering positioning, but the way they bring it to life is very cool. Please refrain from ingesting hallucinogens before you watch. Otherwise, crank the volume.