ESPN’s “This Is SportsCenter” is among the handful of classic sports ad campaigns of all time. Launched in 1995 by Wieden and Kennedy, the campaign—originally inspired by the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap—has become a cult hit for anyone who follows sports on ESPN.
“Have you seen the latest ‘This is SportsCenter’ commercial?” has been a refrain often heard amongst me and my friends for years.
The most recent “This is SportsCenter” commercial may be my favorite of all time. It features tennis champion Rafael Nadal, but more importantly, it features my friend and SportsCenter anchor Bram Weinstein.
Knowing Bram’s humble, low key nature, I’m probably more excited about his appearance in this commercial than he is. For me, these commercials have been a fixture in my life for almost 20 years. They have been a source of hilarity and genius. Only the best and brightest have had the opportunity to appear in them.
Perhaps when you’re immersed in the industry, these commercials seem slightly less glamorous and awe-inspiring, but for someone like me on the outside, the idea that a friend could one day appear in one of these commercials is absolutely thrilling. Unbelievable, really.
And he’s great in it, too.
