John McEnroe Is A "Regular" Guy with All-Bran

John McEnroe pokes fun at himself in new TV commercial
January 30 2008
John McEnroe pokes fun at himself in a new US TV commercial by re-enacting his tantrum-throwing days on the tennis court.

But this time, he's not angry because the ball was out but because a carton of milk was left out of the fridge.

In a cheeky little ad for the cereal All-Bran, McEnroe, 49, is filmed helping a friend with the pipes in his kitchen.

Dressed in a bathrobe and pyjamas, the retired tennis player emerges from under the sink and says: "Well Bob, you've still got some more work to do on your pipes."

Then he says: "By the way I'm really impressed by the way you're sticking with this All-Bran 10-day challenge."

Bob, sitting at the breakfast table chomping away, agrees. He says: "Hey, it's just one serving a day. I already feel it's starting to work."

But the two friends get into a row when McEnroe snaps: "And next time, don't leave the milk out."

Bob pleads his innocence by saying: "But I didn't leave it out I put it back in the fridge."

In typical McEnroe fashion, he says: "It was out."

Bob throws "it was in" across the room like it was a tennis ball flying across a net. Then the McEnroe of old is let loose when he barks: "Are you blind? Don't sit there and tell me it was in when it was..."

But he is interrupted when a woman comes down the stairs, also in her dressing gown, looking tired and peeved.

A humbled McEnroe says: "Good morning Patty. Nice robe."

The commercial is part of the All-Bran campaign encouraging people to keep regular by taking the 10-day challenge.

At the end an announcer says: "The All-Bran 10-day challenge. Do it. Feel it."

Brooke's Farfegnugen! Shields Featured in New VW Spots

VW Taps Brooke Shields for Routan Minivan Ads
Sept 9, 2008

-By Steve Miller


Actress Brooke Shields will appear in a series of ads for Volkswagen's Routan minivan starting in October, as the brand continues to solicit celebrities to promote its products.

In a promotional four-and-a-half-minute video, Shields refers to a "Routan boom," where there is a dramatic rise in children being born to families that believe they have to have more children to justify the purchase of "German engineering," or a Routan. Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, Miami, handles.

Shields has represented a number of products, most famously Calvin Klein jeans in the early '80s. Over the years, the 43-year-old actress has spoken out for various causes, such as Chain of Confidence, a group devoted to helping at-risk young women, and a series of anti-smoking PSAs. She has also represented Colgate, Jones New York and Dolce & Gabbana, among others. Shields currently stars on NBC's show Lipstick Jungle.

The Routan will target married couples under the age of 45 with at least one child under the age of 6, and having two or more children. The target household income is $75,000 and over.

Volkswagen declined to discuss any elements of its Routan campaign.

In May, Volkswagen launched an initiative as part of which the automaker deposits $1,500 into a college account for customers who make a down payment through Upromise, a subsidiary of student loan provider Sallie Mae. The contribution is posted with Upromise and then placed into an interest-bearing 529 savings account. The money also can be withdrawn.

The campaign has fared poorly, however, according to dealers. VW's gm of marketing, Brian Thomas, said that promotion has landed between 20 and 30 takers.

"We have never offered a minivan before," said Thomas. "What our job is in marketing this is to let consumers know that Volkswagen is an option. There are defaults, such as Toyota, Honda and Chrysler. But for us, coming to the category for the first time, it is critical to signal that we understand [consumers'] values."

The brand hopes to sell 40,000 Routans. "We are not trying to sell 100,000 of them," said Richard Fisher, chairman of the Volkswagen National Dealer Council. "But it is a vehicle that we will be able to sell."

Some of the new spots will continue to use Max, the talking Beetle appearing in brand ads earlier this year. Volkswagen's Max ads also featured a number of other celebrities, including David Hasselhoff and Heidi Klum.

Volkswagen sales are pacing even this year, per Autodata, Woodcliff Lake, N.J., while the minivan category is down 19.5%.

Hi O!!! Ed McMahon Raps for Free Credit Report

McGangsta: Ed McMahon to rap in viral videos
By DERRIK J. LANG – Sep 25, 2008

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ed McMahon has an unexpected new job title: rapper.

The 85-year-old former "Tonight Show" sidekick will star in two viral rap videos for FreeCreditReport.com, a financial Web site owned by credit bureau Experian. The videos feature McMahon wearing a tracksuit, being chauffeured around Los Angeles in a Cadillac Escalade golf cart and waxing lyrical about his very public financial troubles.

"I knew I could sing the blues, but I didn't know I could rap," McMahon said Wednesday.

The videos will appear online in October.

Charles Harris, FreeCreditReport.com's vice president of strategic marketing, said the company sought out McMahon to star in the humorous spots after seeing him openly discuss his finances on "Larry King Live." Harris said McMahon represents "a man who is taking charge."

In the first video, McMahon — who once pitched the American Family Publishing sweepstakes — and a bodyguard are cruising through a neighborhood looking for sweepstakes winners to ask for some money back, but McMahon doesn't actually go through with it. In the second spot, McMahon dons a new suit after undergoing a financial and emotional makeover.

"When I retired, I was famous," McMahon raps in the video. "I had money and glory/I bought a house for 6 mill/I thought nothing could touch me/Until my credit went south, and debt started to crunch me/Next thing I know, instead of playing gin rummy, I was scrambling just to make ends meet/It wasn't funny."

After being joined by two scantily clad women, McMahon continues: "Got a bump from the media chumps, but that was temporary/Wife with bad credit was scary, so I got wise/I may have fallen, but I got back up/Now I'm back on the attack, like a ninja swinging nunchucks/I told the haters, 'Go on, take a hike'/It's my show now, and I can do what I like."

McMahon said he spent one day in the studio recording the rap. He said he hopes his participation will inspire viewers to learn from his mistakes and become more aware about their finances.

When asked if he would consider releasing a full-length rap album, McMahon said: "Not immediately."

In June, the former "Star Search" host revealed he was fighting foreclosure after falling $644,000 behind on mortgage payments on his Beverly Hills home. Last month, he agreed to a deal with a private buyer. McMahon said Wednesday the deal has not been completed, and he's not sure what he and his wife, Patricia, will do after the sale.

"We're in this together," said McMahon. "We're a team. We're going to solve it together. We're going to work this out. I'm very optimistic. I'm an old Marine. I've been in two wars and have 85 combat missions under my belt. I've got a background of looking for the good stuff, going for the best way. My wife is with me 100 percent."

It's not the first job for McMahon following his money problems. In July, the former "Tonight Show" sidekick reprised his role as pitchman with commercial segments alongside talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." One of the spots featured McMahon teaching Kimmel how to sell a product. Another had the duo preparing for a road trip to Mexico.

Last week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that McMahon's lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and two physicians he claims failed to properly diagnose and repair his broken neck laid out adequate legal ground to pursue claims that include negligence, elder abuse, battery, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.