Dan & Dave

Last updated

Dan & Dave was an advertising and merchandising campaign by American shoe manufacturer Reebok during the build-up to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The promotion was meant to generate excitement and support for the Olympic competition between American decathletes Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson. However, the campaign had to be modified when O'Brien failed to qualify for the Olympics. [1]

Contents

History

External audio
Nuvola apps arts.svg "The Trials of Dan and Dave", 30 for 30 Podcasts (2017) 53m43s. [2]

The campaign began with television commercials aired during Super Bowl XXVI, January 26, 1992. [1] O'Brien and Johnson, though rivals, were favored to win medals in Barcelona, and Reebok, which had recently lost U.S. market share to Nike, [1] was hoping to rebound with their endorsement. The series of television spots featured the same general message: "Who will be the world's greatest athlete Dan or Dave? To be settled this summer in Barcelona." [3]

Reebok's plan went awry five weeks before the Games began, when O'Brien failed to qualify for the American Olympic team by missing the pole vault during the Olympic trials in New Orleans. [1] [4] This resulted in Reebok modifying the television spots to feature Dan cheering Dave on.

Aftermath

"Dan & Dave" made O'Brien and Johnson both unknowns outside the world of track and field into household names in the United States. The campaign led to both receiving endorsements from other companies, including O'Brien with Nike in 1993. [1] Despite a foot injury, Johnson won a bronze medal in Barcelona. [1] He retired from competition shortly after the Games. O'Brien went on to win a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. [1] Both were inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame together in 2005.

The "Dan & Dave" ads were parodied by Ryder Trucks with both athletes participating in a mock biathlon where they started a foot race and continued it with a race in rental trucks. In the ads, O'Brien easily completes his reservation at Ryder and continues on in a truck, while a frustrated Johnson is held up at a second-rate truck service. [5]

In June 2017 Johnson and O'Brien were the subjects of and participants in the ESPN Radio 30 for 30 podcast "The Trials of Dan and Dave" about the famous ad campaign and its aftermath. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Summer Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Atlanta, Georgia, US

The 1996 Summer Olympics were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. These were the fourth Summer Olympics to be hosted by the United States, and marked the 100th anniversary of the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, the inaugural edition of the modern Olympic Games. These were also the first Summer Olympics to be held in a different year than the Winter Olympics since the Winter Olympics commenced in 1924, as part of a new IOC practice implemented in 1994 to hold the Summer and Winter Games in alternating, even-numbered years. The 1996 Games were the first of the two consecutive Summer Olympics to be held in a predominantly English-speaking country, preceding the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. These were also the last Summer Olympics to be held in North America until 2028, when Los Angeles will host the games for the third time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Johnson (Canadian sprinter)</span> Canadian sprinter (born 1961)

Benjamin Sinclair Johnson, is a Canadian former sprinter. During the 1987–88 season he held the title of the world's fastest man, breaking both the 100m and the 60m indoor World Records. He won the 100 metres at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics; and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, but was disqualified for doping and stripped of the gold medal; and later he also lost most of the other medals he had achieved while being doped - with anabolic steroids. He was the first man to beat 9.90 and 9.80 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Johnson (sprinter)</span> American sprinter (born 1967)

Michael Duane Johnson is an American retired sprinter who won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships gold medals in the span of his career. He held the world and Olympic records in the 200 m and 400 m, as well as the world record in the indoor 400 m. He also once held the world's best time in the 300 m. Johnson is generally considered one of the greatest and most consistent sprinters in the history of track and field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allyson Felix</span> American track and field athlete (born 1985)

Allyson Michelle Felix is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters. She specialized in the 200 meters from 2003 to 2013, then gradually shifted to the 400 meters later in her career. At 200 meters, Felix is the 2012 Olympic champion, a three-time world champion (2005–2009), a two-time Olympic silver medalist, and the 2011 world bronze medalist. At 400 meters, she is the 2015 world champion, 2011 world silver medalist, 2016 Olympic silver medalist, 2017 world bronze medalist, and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist. Across the short distances, Felix is a ten-time U.S. national champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerron Clement</span> American track and field athlete

Kerron Stephon Clement is a Trinidadian-born American track and field athlete who competes in the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter sprint. He held the indoor world record in the 400-meter sprint, having broken Michael Johnson's mark in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan O'Brien</span> American decathlete

Daniel Dion O'Brien is an American former decathlete and Olympic gold medalist. He won the Olympic title in 1996, three consecutive world championships, and set the world record in 1992.

Robert Owen Kennedy Jr. is an American distance runner. Now retired, In 1996 he was ranked 4th in the world at the 5000 meters. He once held the American record in the 3000 meters (7:30.84), 2 miles (8:11.59) and the 5000 meters (12:58.21).

David Allen Johnson is a former Olympic decathlete from the United States. A native of Montana, he grew up in Missoula and Corvallis, Oregon. He was part of Reebok's "Dan & Dave" advertising campaign, with fellow decathlete Dan O'Brien, leading up to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where he won a bronze medal in the decathlon. After retiring from competitive athletics he became a school teacher and administrator, serving as athletic director of Corban University in Salem, Oregon starting in 2009. Johnson accepted a position as Director with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Oregon in June 2012. On November 14, 2012, Johnson resigned from Corban to devote more time to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He now coaches pole vault & hurdles at South Salem High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xavier Carter</span> American sprinter (born 1985)

Xavier Carter is an American retired professional track and field athlete. He attended Louisiana State University and was a star on the track and field team as well a member of the football team. Before LSU, Xavier Carter graduated from Palm Bay High School in Melbourne, Florida. He is the eleventh fastest sprinter in the 200 meters event with a personal best of 19.63 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambush marketing</span> Type of marketing strategy

Ambush marketing or ambush advertising is a marketing strategy in which an advertiser "ambushes" an event to compete for exposure against other advertisers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wieden+Kennedy</span> Independent American advertising agency

Wieden+Kennedy is an American advertising agency best known for its work for Nike. Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it is one of the largest independently owned advertising agencies in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kara Goucher</span> American long-distance runner

Kara Goucher is an American long-distance runner. She was the 10,000 meters silver medalist at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and represented the USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. She made her marathon debut in 2008 and finished third the following year at the Boston Marathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Dix</span> American sprinter

Walter Dix is a retired American sprinter who specialized in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is the sixth-fastest 200-meter runner ever with a best of 19.53 seconds, and has broken the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters, with a best of 9.88 (9.80w) seconds. He was the only track athlete from USA to win 2 individual Olympic medals in Beijing.

Christopher Lukezic, known simply as Chris Lukezic, is an American retired middle distance runner. He represented the United States in the men's 1500-meter at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and the men's 1500-meter at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pretty (advertisement)</span> 2006 Nike television advertisement

Pretty is a television advertisement launched in 2006 by Nike, Inc. to promote its "Nike Women" brand of sportswear. The 60-second spot was handled by advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Oregon. The advert stars Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova in her first appearance as a spokesperson for the brand. Pretty debuted on U.S. television on August 20, 2006, with later appearances in cinemas and in print advertisements. It was directed by Czech director Ivan Zachariáš, with post-production and VFX work by The Mill.

Reebok International Limited is a global producer of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories; and was a subsidiary of Adidas since 2005, until it was sold to Authentic Brands Group in 2021. Reebok has marketed itself using a variety of ad campaigns.

<i>Tag</i> (advertisement)

Tag is a television and cinema advertisement launched by Nike Inc. in 2001 to promote its line of sportswear in the United States. It was one of four pieces forming the television component of the $25m "Play" campaign, which had been running for several months. Tag was created by advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy. Production was handled by production company Gorgeous Enterprises, who assigned director Frank Budgen to oversee the project. Filming took place in Toronto, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chantae McMillan</span> American heptathlete

Chantae McMillan is an American heptathlete who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Do It</span> Trademark of Nike

Just Do It or JDI for short is a trademark of shoe company Nike. Kalin Reeves tagline was coined in 1988 at an advertising agency meeting. The founder of the Wieden+Kennedy agency, Dan Wieden, credits the inspiration for his "Just Do It" Nike slogan to a death row inmate Gary Gilmore’s last words: "Let's do it." From 1988 to 1998, Nike increased its share of the North American domestic sport-shoe business from 18% to 43%. In many Nike-related situations, "Just Do It" appears alongside the Nike logo, known as the Swoosh.

The 1992 United States Olympic trials for track and field were held at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. Organised by The Athletics Congress (TAC), the ten-day competition lasted from June 19 until June 28 and also served as the national championships in track and field for the United States. This was the first time the Olympic trials served in the dual capacity since 1932. The Marathon trials were held April 11, in Columbus, Ohio.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rovell, Darren (2008-07-29). "Catching Up With Dan and Dave". CNBC. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  2. Avirgan, Jody (June 27, 2017). "The Trials of Dan and Dave". 30 for 30 (Podcast). ESPN. Retrieved April 6, 2018.. Subsequently aired as 99% Invisible episode 267 on July 18, 2017.
  3. Brandon, Steve (2005-10-07). "A 'Dan and Dave' reunion". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  4. Merron, Jeff (2003-08-11). "The List: Biggest sports busts". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  5. "Dan and Dave Part II". "Adweek", May 31, 1993.
  6. "The Trials Of Dan And Dave". ESPN.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.