Lowe Howard-Spink has cast Andy Cole, the Manchester United
striker, as a chip shop assistant in the latest film in its ’other
career’ campaign for Reebok.
Based on national stereotypes, the campaign imagines parallel lives for
top football stars. Ryan Giggs, for example, is cast as a Welsh flower
seller, Peter Schmeichel as a Danish pig farmer and Dennis Bergkamp as a
Dutch cheese packer.
The new film opens with a shot of a gloomy fish-and-chip shop called
Fryer Tuck. The caption reads: ’Andy Cole. Chip shop assistant.
Nottingham, England.’
Inside, we see a depressed-looking Cole peeling spuds, frying fish and
serving up chip butties. ’I remember it like it was yesterday,’ he
mumbles.
’November 5th 1987.’ Cole recalls how on that fateful day he was
dissuaded from buying the pair of Reebok football boots in favour of a
giant firework.
’What’s it called? Peer group pressure?’ asks Cole, as he describes his
rocket. ’It went straight up in the air. Whoosh. Bang.’
The final shot shows Cole standing miserably by the door of the
shop.
The endline reads: ’There are other boots. But then there are other
careers.’
Steve Bracewell, Reebok Europe’s marketing director, said: ’Reebok is
about creating possibilities for our athletes and players, developing
the best footwear and equipment to enhance performance at every level of
the game. That is why we chose to take an unexpected look at the
possibilities of several of our players had they not worn Reebok.
Andy Cole was an obvious addition to an already award-winning
campaign.’
The ad, which breaks in September, was art directed by Simon Morris,
written by Geoff Smith and directed by Kirk Jones through Tomboy Films.
