Nike SPARQ Training Promos

Nike Sparq campaign broke on American Idol and started gaining traction during the NCAA Final Four men's basketball tournament; two new TV spots will debut this week. The current commercials begin with a taunt, a bully haiku, really: "My better is better than your better."

In partnering with Sparq, Nike is selling the weird-looking tools, too, like hurdles and a ladder. A slew of "better"-talkin' Nike pro athletes -- soccer stars Landon Donovan, Hope Solo and Abby Wambach; lacrosse players Kyle Harrison and Ryan Powell; basketballers Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Brandon Roy and Diana Taurasi; major leaguer Matt Holliday; NFL running back Adrian Peterson -- populate the spots. They're captured at practice, and sometimes in slow motion, using the tools and doing the drills, which do indeed look strange. The weirdest is the parachute, which comes in sizes M, L and XL. ("What size is your parachute?" would seem to be the resulting question.) Apparently, running with it increases resistance for strength and speed training, and allows some kind of unique brain connection to the body that also boosts speed.

Continue to news story >>