What are Brian Urlacher, middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears, and David Ortiz, designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox, doing playing badminton? They’re starring in an ad for Glaceau Vitaminwater that is running on TV and online.
“Badminton,” from WPP Group’s Berlin Cameron United/New York and directed by Justin Reardon of bicoastal Anonymous Content, is an uproarious :45 that features Urlacher and Ortiz playing against two Asian champions, “two giants of the game facing two giants.”
“The idea was based on people doing things they wouldn’t normally do because they’re drinking Vitaminwater,” said Reardon. “Badminton is played on a small court with small players, but Urlacher is six-foot-four, 258 pounds, and Ortiz is about the same size. Two huge guys playing badminton was a nice juxtaposition.”
The ad was shot in Fort Myers, FL, in April, a location that was chosen because it was close to where Ortiz was located during spring training. “We had to ship in Asians from Miami and Orlando because there weren’t any in Fort Myers,” Reardon said. They were shipped in because the spot was supposed to take place in Hong Kong, where a Chinese audience cheered on. The Chinese players were actual U.S. champions. “We wanted the opponents to look like they knew what they were doing, so we surrounded ourselves with the real thing,” Reardon said.
Digital betacams were used, “the kind that cover sporting events,” Reardon said. “We covered it with a couple of cameras at once to shoot both sides for a seamless cut to continuous action.”
The spot features game footage with slam shots highlighted by a dive made by Urlacher to complete a shot. “We set up a huge mat for him and he was game to do it,” Reardon said, noting that professional athletes usually avoid dangerous shots. “The shot makes the spot,” Reardon said. “It was great.” The spot ends with the shuttlecock lodged in a Chinese player’s leg, confirming victory for the American sports stars.
The spot runs at www.glaceau.com (click on vitaminwater and vitamintv).
Supreme Court Allows Multibillion-Dollar Class Action Lawsuit To Proceed Against Meta
The Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors' lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.
The justices heard arguments in November in Meta's bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place.
The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.
Investors allege that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users' personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump 's first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016.
Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company's shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company was disappointed by the court's action. "The plaintiff's claims are baseless and we will continue to defend ourselves as this case is considered by the District Court," Stone said in an emailed statement.
Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users.
Cambridge Analytica had ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon. It had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users. That data was then used to target U.S. voters during the 2016 campaign.
The lawsuit is one of two high court cases involving class-action lawsuits against tech companies. The justices also are wrestling with whether to shut down a class action against Nvidia.... Read More