Cheetah Energy Drink

This isn't a new one, but it is in such bad taste that I had to include it, and thought it might be a good way to set the tone for this blog.

Unfortunately for us viewers, it's a 60-second format, though that gives us plenty of time to escape to do other things. If you can't leave the TV set or change channels, you're stuck with 60 seconds that will make you wonder when advertisers have hit rock bottom.

The concept of the commercial is a talk show, "Being Frank", whereby guests are supposed to be open and honest about their foibles. The Host, in this case, is Frank D'Angelo, CEO of D'Angelo Brands and probably serves as an excellent example of why chief executives should NOT be in commercials.



The product being shilled is CHEETAH energy drink. Now, I think CHEETAH is a great name for an energy drink, because cheetahs are known to be the fastest animals on land. (If I'm wrong, please just take this as poetic license!) I've never tried the product, so I have no idea how well it lives up to it's promise - besides, this blog is about the ads, not the products.

For this commercial, Frank's guest is Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter who won the gold in the 100 Meter Dash at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but lost his medal and was digraced when he tested positive for steroid use.

The first indication of poor attention to detail is the super that appears, "Canadian Olympian Track Star". Mr. Johnson is indeed a Track Star, and he was indeed an Olympian. I would have preferred to see "Canadian Olympic Track Star" or "Canadian Olympian and Track Star". It may be a bit pedantic, but at least try to get it right.

Next we have Frank asking Mr. Johnson "When you run, do you CHEETAH". It looks pretty innocuous in print, but, as delivered in video, it sounds like Mr. Johnson is being asked to confess if he cheats at sports.

In response, Mr. Johnson grins and says yes "Absolutely ... [he] CHEETAH['s] all the time!" Poor Mr. Johnson, at this point, holds up the CHEETAH can to the camera so everyone can see it clearly.

Having been publicly humiliated in 1988 over the doping scandal, surely Mr. Johnson has endured enough punishment without having his reputation further tarnished by associating with the CHEETAH brand. That's why I find this commercial in poor taste.

We're pretty certain he accepted this gig solely for the money, because it's known his financial situation is far from healthy. However, we have doubts if he really knew what he was in for when he signed up.

Finally, Mr. D'Angelo is featured in all commercials for his products (e.g., STEELBACK beer). Putting your CEO in commercials makes sense if it adds value and/or credibility to the brand. However, the quality of the execution of these commercials is weak. They look like they were done on the cheap.

So what does this really say about Mr. D'Angelo's products?