When the product is professional sports, creating ads might seem like a no-brainer. But the Madison Square Garden Network (MSG Network) and ad agency Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, New York, opted against the typical sports-celebrity endorsement in its latest campaign, "It’s More Than Just A Game." In the 18 commercials that have been shot thus far, documentarian Peter Gilbert (Hoop Dreams) of Santa Monica-based non•fic•tion spots and longform focused on the stars behind the stars of such premier New York teams as the Rangers, Knicks and Yankees. A trio of ads—"Towel Tech," "Bernie Playing" and "Injury Messenger"—won a Silver WorldMedal at the New York Festivals International TV Programming & Promotion Awards last month in New York.
The humorous campaign, which broke last year, introduces viewers to people like Wayman Manning, the young locker room attendant for the Knicks. In "Towel Tech," Manning talks about how many towels he has to wash after every game, and the intricacies of parking the players’ cars. Intercut with Manning’s dialogue is footage of Knicks guard/forward Latrell Sprewell complaining about a scratch he finds on his car and the car radio being turned up too loud.
Not only is the campaign a breath of fresh air in this celebrity-obsessed culture, but it truly illustrates its tagline: "More angles, more insight."
"The whole concept is that MSG Network gives you more insider information," said Gilbert. Indeed, it doesn’t get much more personal than laundry. Moreover, the director continued, "There’s great humor in these people. They love their jobs, but they also realize how insane it is to work for a major sports team. They’re dealing with a lot of pressure—a lot of people who are physically worth a lot of money."
"What the Hell?" features Ricky Berlingo, who has been the Rangers’ bus driver for 15 years. Footage of Darren Langdon, Mike Richter and Kevin Stevens (who was re-
cently placed in the NHL’s drug rehab program) has the hockey players acknowledging that several mischievous incidents have happened on road trips over the years, but that their lips are sealed. Berlingo’s are, too, but he does admit that he only pretends to turn the heat up in the bus when the players complain about the temperature. "What the hell? They don’t know the difference," he says. (At press time, there was no word if the spot had been shelved or re-edited due to Stevens’ recent brush with the law. MSG Network did not return phone calls.)
In "The Bone," Yankee bench coach Don Zimmer explains, "It’s something that’s been around for years." That something turns out to be a large piece of animal bone. Cut to MSG Network sportscaster Al Trautwig, who demonstrates the little-known baseball superstition: "If you rub the bat against the bone, it makes the bat get better … I think." Other ads feature Knicks surgeon Dr. Scott and Rangers medical trainer Jim Ramsay, among others.
Gilbert was awarded the campaign in early ’99. After Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners conceived of the idea and did some preliminary research, the project was executed in a client-direct manner. "Kirshenbaum got this thing off to a great start," explained non•fic•tion executive producer Michael Degan. "[Then] they turned the concept over to us and we ran with it." The agency creative team consisted of executive creative director Bill Oberlander; creative director Logan Wilmont; copywriter Mike McCommon; art director Sean LaBounty and producer Randy Cohen.
Gilbert and Degan set out with a five-person research team and a master list of 260 people affiliated with the Knicks, Rangers and Yankees. "We had everybody from the guy who replaces the backboard when it [shatters] in a basketball game, to the guys who maintain the field between innings at Yankee Stadium," Degan said. "You could base an entire television series on them," Gilbert added.
The first six weeks consisted of meeting the workers and taping their interviews. After reviewing them, Gilbert compared notes with the client to determine which people and potential storylines to pursue. "We just got a feel for their background," the director said. "Most of the stuff was discovered while we were filming [the actual spots]. In my mind," he added, "real life is always better than what you can make up."
The first two-week shoot began in April at the Garden and at Rye Playland, Rye, N.Y., the Rangers’ practice arena. Gilbert shot most of the footage himself, but on occasion did rely on various cinematographers. When the first ads started to air in May, the production team began its second two-week shoot. Then they shot an additional two weeks in the fall. "After a while, we thought we were employees of MSG Network," Degan said.
Editing different spots in the campaign were Steve Hamilton of Mad Mad Judy, New York, and Los Angeles-based freelance editor Mark Imgrund.
The ads air on the MSG Network and also on the Garden’s Jumbotron screen before each game. Not only has the response been positive, but Manning, among others, has become a celebrity in his own right.
"The players just go after him," Gilbert said. "It’s classic. There are great things about being able to [work] with star players. But they have such a limited amount of time that sometimes their heart isn’t really in it—until they see someone else up on the screen getting all the publicity. I love that about these spots."
