Somewhere at the intersection of creating commercial concepts over beer and sushi and Super Bowl advertising infamy awaits David Falk, one of the most influential figures not just in sports marketing but also in USA TODAY Ad Meter lore.
The famed agent of Michael Jordan and the man behind the iconic “Air Jordan” branding sat down with Ad Meter while in Las Vegas, Nevada, for SEICon to take a nostalgic look at advertising’s biggest stage.
For Falk, the view is rather unique.
He has been part of two winning commercials in the Super Bowl ratings, taking the top spot in 1992 with Nike and in ’93 with McDonald’s.
That alone is impressive, even more so considering it’s two different brands. But Falk’s help with the marketing vision for each concept—a thoughtful mix of Looney Tunes and, finally, saying that it was OK not to have Jordan as the lone star of the show—still holds up in pop culture today, spotlighting how impactful the campaigns were and are.
“What those commercials became was more than simply advertising,” said Falk. “It became culture.”
First up was Nike, which had been working with Jordan since 1984. At that point, the famed “Shoe Deal” progressed from the early stages to a global trend, with the Swoosh and Jumpman logo combining for a proverbial marketing slam dunk.
The origin story, as Falk noted, was more gorilla-style than polished blockbuster, though. In the early days, he and Nike created commercial concepts over sushi and beer until the brand suggested they “get some real ad power in here.”
What followed that marketing nudge was a literal trip down a rabbit hole, one that landed at the lucky foot of Bugs Bunny ahead of the 1992 Super Bowl.
But a cartoon in a commercial? With Michael?
“It was very tough because people don’t realize that with a green screen, you’re standing in front of a blank screen, you’re there by yourself—there’s no human interaction, no back-and-forth,” Falk explained. “You have to figure out what direction you are talking to, and you have to do multiple takes.”
Though it was a questionable production move with complex ideas, Falk had confidence in his client. By 1992, Jordan had been doing commercials for eight years, and his personality and on-camera presence were just as impressive as his talents on the court.
“He was great at it,” Falk exclaimed.
So, there was little doubt that Jordan couldn’t handle such a strange shooting schedule. (And to be fair, Bugs Bunny had over 50 years of television work under his belt, so his ability to keep up with the frantic pace probably wasn’t a concern either.)
With first-time Super Bowl commercial director Joe Pytka taking the reins, Nike, Bugs, Michael and David set off to create the campaign.
Then, showtime!
After the clock ticked down to zero during Super Bowl 27, the Dallas Cowboys were the champions. And so was Nike’s “Hare Jordan,” taking the top spot in the Ad Meter ratings while creating history as the first winning ad ever to have an animal of any kind in a leading role.
It was a major hit, but Falk and Jordan were just getting started.
One year later, McDonald’s entered the Super Bowl scene.
This time, there wouldn’t be any green screen or production days spent figuring out the logistics of an animated rabbit. But it did involve a co-star, an actual human named Larry Bird.
That presented a philosophical problem more complex than any roadblocks during previous campaign.
Larry Bird in a commercial? With Michael?
“For most of Michael’s career, we never let him be in ads with anyone else,” Falk revealed. “I always wanted Michael to be by himself. I didn’t think he needed any supporting characters.”
However, his admiration for Bird helped sway the marketing pendulum ever so slightly, and Jordan’s respect and relationship with the Celtics legend was strong enough for Falk to see the connection.
“The contrast in personalities… I thought it was a great idea, so I broke my own rule and allowed another person to be in the commercial,” said Falk.
The McDonald’s commercial concept would be one of the exceptions—and what an exception the campaign turned out to be, one of the greatest games of HORSE ever.
The Super Bowl spot, titled “The Showdown,” turned out to be another winner, this time making Ad Meter history as the first ad ever to get a rating of a collective 9 (out of a possible 10).
Like most of his career, Falk’s entry into the Super Bowl Sunday rush was a success: Two years, two ads, two Ad Meter wins, and two footnotes of historical trivia.
But, as he noted before, there was more to both of the campaigns when looking through the lens of the advertising roadmap that has sped along in the 30-plus years since then.
The pioneering efforts of both spots helped move the advertising needle in a new direction. Only a few years later, Pepsi produced a winning formula that starred animated bears dancing to the Village People’s “YMCA.” That was followed by creative campaigns looking to push boundaries while packing the 30 seconds with star power, which has transformed in today’s marketing world to include ensemble casts of all-time greats.
“That’s a testimony to the creativity of the people who created the commercials,” said Falk.
And the creative success for Falk and Jordan didn’t stop there, of course.
He saw more to the ’92 storyboard, a progression that eventually turned into the 1996 hit movie “Space Jam,” directed by Pytka. And he still enjoys hearing people, himself included, say “nothing but net” after making a solid point or shot, whether that’s on the basketball court, the golf course, wherever.
As for the Super Bowl commercials today, Falk is definitely a fan and enjoys seeing the massive audience element as a way to present campaigns and capture attention in a streaming-heavy world.
“As it gets bigger and bigger, I think one of the most fun parts of the Super Bowl is the ads,” he began. “It’s become the Super Bowl of Commercials.”
Noting but net, David. Nothing but net.
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