This Spot Snickers at Nike’s Seriousness

Another parody of Nike’s “I can” commercials has hit the airwaves, this one from Mars Inc. The spot for Snickers candy, which debuted Sunday during the NBA All-Star game, shows an average-looking guy shooting hoops alone at a neighborhood playground. In a tone of mock seriousness, the voice-over says, “I can’t give up. I can’t stop flying.” As he attempts to dunk, the weekend warrior gets caught on the rim and the voice-over delivers the punch line, “I can’t get down.” Mars said the ad is intended to poke fun at the seriousness of sporting goods ads in general. Nike’s “I can” ads show professional and amateur athletes overcoming various obstacles, but some ad critics have panned them as overwrought. NBC first parodied them during the Super Bowl, airing promotions for its show, “Working.” In those ads, actors from the show muttered such silly phrases as “I can sleep with my eyes open.” NBC yanked the spots when Nike complained that they distorted Nike’s “inspirational” message. The athletic-shoe company was circumspect about the Snickers ad. Said a Nike spokesman: “Imitation is a form of flattery.”