Channel Frederator Blog

These Gatorade spots are great. They have a feel similar to Disney’s Jungle Book. The new commercial campaign is from TBWA\Chiat\Day, and features a young Tiger Woods, learning how to be the best player he can be. Colonel the Grizzly Bear is based on Tiger’s own father, Earl. His voice is provided by Samuel L Jackson.

The commercials also features original music composed by Boosty Collins of Parliament Funkadelic fame, and includes voiceovers by Tiger’s swing coach Hank Haney and caddie Steve Williams.

The quality of these spots is amazing. I really like the way the characters look and move, and they do a very nice job of capturing the feel of a young boy learning about life.

-Floyd Bishop

Happy new year! If you had a crazy night of celebration, maybe Speedy can help. Radio Actor, Dick Beals was the voice of Speedy Alka-Seltzer on the Alka-Seltzer commercials. Speedy Alka-Seltzer was originally known as Sparky, but the name was changed by a sales manager, Perry L. Shupert, to reflect that year’s promotional theme, “Speedy Relief”.

The Speedy Alka-Seltzer character was created at the Wade Ad Agency in 1951. The original working model was 6 inches tall and sculpted by Duke Russell. It appeared in more than 200 commercials over a 10 year period from 1954-1964.

I really like these types of ad campaigns.  Today’s mascots can all trace their roots back to Speedy and his peers.

-Floyd Bishop

I found this clip of various commercials, showing the CG steps involved with improving reality. Bunny heads, swirly water, and butt wrinkle reduction abound.

-Floyd Bishop