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With an estimated 8,000 different types of sport participated in globally, there’s a sport for everyone. So it makes sense that hundreds of sports adverts are produced every year, each of which sets out to concurrently please a specific audience and entertain the masses.
For example, a sportswear television ad may seek to entice a few thousand viewers to spend their hard-earned cash on a specific football boot that’s central to the commercial, but it will also intend to amuse the millions of other people watching who have no interest in purchasing a pair of football boots.
Why? It’s always beneficial to create positive brand connections.
Here, we take a look at the best sports ads of 2022 – created by and for companies such as Nike, BBC and Range Rover – and examine their use of production music.
Best Sports Ads of 2022
- 50th Anniversary | Nike
- We Know Our Place – Summer of Live Sport | BBC
- Run For the Oceans | adidas
- She Moves Us | Puma
- What’s Priceless to You | Mastercard
- Winter Olympics x Dream Beds | Dreams
- Life is Not a Spectator Sport | Reebok
- Bring Down the House | NFL
- Play to Inspire | Pepsi
- Grab The Moment | Lay’s
50th Anniversary | Nike
To celebrate their 50th Anniversary, the Swoosh recently teamed up with movie industry icon Spike Lee to produce an ad that features clips taken from basketball games, football matches, marathon races and a whole host of sporting events.
The director steps back into the shoes of his character Mars Blackmon – one that appeared in his late ‘80s ‘joint’ (movie) She’s Gotta Have It and ‘80s-’90s Jordan commercials – to please his long-time fans and showcase his goofy side to younger generations.
The too-cool-for-school music used in this Nike advertisement is inspired by Lee’s hip hop roots and the bustling atmosphere of the NYC setting.
We Know Our Place – Summer of Live Sport | BBC
In May 2022, BBC put out a sports ad that is a true representation of modern Britain – diverse athletes from all walks of life stand proud in their nation, ready to participate in the sport they’re passionate about.
It’s the kind of patriotism we can get behind as it embraces established and upcoming athletes – including sporting icon Kadeena Cox – that an audience recognises and, more importantly, can relate to.
4 Hero’s electronic hit ‘Les Fleur’ is a fitting song for an ad filled with sporting heroes. It’s powerful, formidable and, most importantly, has London at its core.
Run For the Oceans | Adidas
Sustainability is at the forefront of the fashion industry right now and sportswear labels like Adidas have been working hard to innovate new technologies, materials and processes that are kind to the planet.
Adidas’ Run For the Oceans commercial finds fun ways to communicate to the audience that the brand is challenging itself to make a difference by providing runners with recycled shoes and encouraging them to participate in their Run For the Oceans initiative.
Adidas’ Run For the Oceans ad is soundtracked by a punchy electronica hip hop composition that reinforces the commercial's message.
She Moves Us | Puma
No one’s doing it quite like Dua Lipa. This era’s pop queen is here, there and everywhere, and although she’s almost always spotted in Versace on the red carpet, it’s Puma that she’s been wearing on her days off.
Well, at least that’s the narrative the German sportswear brand is pushing in its latest ad.
Entitled ‘She Moves Us’, the commercial celebrates the women of sport by having Dua guide the viewer through a montage of energetic clips showing women running, racing, skateboarding and more.
Dua Lipa’s commanding speaking voice is accompanied by a contemporary dance-pop song that makes you want to move – ideal for sports content.
What’s Priceless to You | Mastercard
Mastercard has created one of the best commercials of the year by telling the story of Messi’s pivotal journey from Argentina to Catalonia in 2000.
The reflective ad pulls at the viewer’s heartstrings by reminding them of a time they became independent and eventually seeks to inspire viewers to follow their hearts as one will never regret pursuing their passion.
The piano-led track that helps Mastercard explore Messi’s past is imbued with emotion.
It helps viewers understand the thoughts and feelings the footballer was experiencing on his initial journey to Europe.
Winter Olympics x Dream Beds | Dreams
There’s so much to look at within the Team GB and ParalympicsGB Winter Olympics Dreams commercial – from clips of winter sports to landscape shots of Beijing to neon text graphics.
What does it all mean? Essentially, the ad explores the high-octane dreams of three Olympic/Paralympic athletes as they sleep comfortably upon their Dreams mattress.
Like the visuals, the music for this sports-centric advertisement is non-stop. In other words, it’s packed with more energy than a bottle of Lucozade.
Life is Not a Spectator Sport | Reebok
Reebok gathered the coolest people in the world right now – including b-ball legend Allen Iverson – and put them in their surprisingly dark commercial dubbed ‘Life is Not a Spectator Sport’.
As the title suggests, the message of the campaign is that everyone is a participant in life, and it will happen whether you take the reins or not.
Considering the commercial features some of the most important names in R&B right now, namely Tems and Brent Faiyaz, the gritty, bluesy soundtrack of the commercial feels more than appropriate.
Bring Down the House – Super Bowl LVI | NFL
Ever since our very first viewing of 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, we’ve loved nothing more than the worlds of reality and animation colliding.
In this fun-for-all-the-family commercial produced by the NFL for the 2022 Super Bowl, the American football players of a kid's video game jump out the screen and continue their game within the setting of a suburban home.
As the American football players rush around the home and, in turn, destroy its contents, Little Richard’s ‘50s hit ‘Tutti Frutti’ plays.
The song only adds to the super fun feel of the commercial with its swinging rhythms and flavoursome lyrics.
Play to Inspire | Pepsi
Like their biggest competitor, Pepsi have always been keen to associate their brand with the world of sports; and their latest effort to bridge the gap between their soft drinks and football comes in the form of a television advert entitled ‘Play to Inspire.’
Starring the likes of Pogba and Ronaldinho, the fast-paced, star-studded commercial is sure to excite football fans of all ages.
Pepsi’s ‘Play to Inspire’ ad is just as much a feast for the ears as it is for the eyes.
Our favourite musical moment? The Montell Jordan This is How We Do It sample. Talk about a 90s anthem.
Grab The Moment | Lay’s
Lay’s 2022 UEFA Champions League advert manages to perfectly capture the spirit of football, even though the only football featured in the international commercial is one that’s completely deflated.
Allow us to explain. After biting into a Lay’s crisp, a young footballer begins to play with an invisible football and soon, various members of the village join in.
The cherry on top of the cake? An appearance from the maestro himself, Lionel Messi.
Lay’s opts for a soulful yet upbeat song, that is imbued with the same enthusiasm as those playing the sport.
Read More About Sports Music
As you can tell from the above commercials, sports and music share a special connection.
Songs are often used to dramatise sporting events and create hype around sporting products and services. Check out one of our many sports-centric playlists, from sports anthems to summer of sports to winter sports to ticks and heartbeats.
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