1. Spike Lee
I suppose it would be nice to know that the celebrities we see hawking wares on our television screens actually believe in their product. If they don't, then we're watching some famous person shine us on about a product they don't care about just to get a check. I don't mean to be naive. I know that much of commercial advertising is based on people selling a product they don't believe in. Still it would be nice to know that somebody out there promoting a product/brand actually cares about that product/brand deeply. In this day and age of "do anything for a buck" culture, I think that kind of honesty would be refreshing. This is why I thank God for people like Spike Lee. Yes, Spike Lee. Spike is known for many things. He is most readily recognized as one of the greatest directors of the past 30 years. He is a considered to be a true maverick director with a vibrant, in-your-face way of making films that always keep people talking. To others, he is known as an incendiary loudmouth. A personality whose routinely explosive public exploits, can sometimes serve to undermine the impact of his films. The truth of who Spike is probably lies somewhere in the middle. Reaction to Spike's personality and his films can always be counted on to draw impassioned, divisive arguments. I for one think he's brilliant and wish people would concentrate on his work more than his mouth. But that is a subject for another list. Today, we're going to look at common ground that both the Spike Lee haters and lovers can come together on. Whether you admire or despise the man, you have to admit he is one of the most diehard NBA fans the world has ever seen. How diehard is he? How deep does his love for the great game of basketball go? Let's just say that Spike Lee and the NBA (especially the Knicks) will forever be a better love story than
Twilight. Spike has directed commercials for many different companies, like Apple and Taco Bell, but it is his work in and around the sport of basketball that sees him at his most passionate, offering both fun and exciting results. It could be Reebok, Nike, Jumpman 23, T-mobile, or the NBA organization itself. The product itself doesn't matter.The brand doesn't matter. What matters and what is most evident throughout all these ads is the love that this one man has for the game of basketball. You could imagine that he would make these commercials on his own dime, even if nobody was paying him. You may not like Spike Lee or the movies he makes, but you gotta respect a man who is so passionate about something that he regularly sacrifices his time and his talents to display his affection even for something as small as a commercial. Provided for your enrichment is a sampling of Spike Lee's commercial work over the years. I say small as a joke, because in reality, Spike has probably directed over 50 basketball-related commercials for various companies, all with a common thread running underneath: love of the game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0HPbGz915I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkzKA-n_aUk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvzQ5_6-ctQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjFK3L4cvQs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5PqMUPgW3o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_FP-spVFz8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9vDhqcYB6M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=048l7zrdqSQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC1aUwcOFnQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKWS_o-kKQk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqppzdz8g0Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93py64le9K4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjVoOXL01BA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obkhSaTuDhI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLw6pG55dl4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssqFtFjDfFI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyySYIKgn3c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ddc8-KH0M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enn4b5wGs5U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6whLdy1Ydk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmYP4J0Viww http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sUMqOH1anc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nARwOj5ZtY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rM4ZZ4hYp4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN0ynUHhyS0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuqDznNrc9M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPRJPWpmiE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMiJ03BT6pQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cRfeECJWvo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq6xaJco1bQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npj4EHzoeBQ