The 2009 NBA Finals begins on Thursday night without the Kobe Bryant/LeBron James matchup that had been assumed for months by advertisers, cynics, and conspiracy theorists.
With Kobe vs. LeBron on the shelf until 2010 at the earliest, advertisers Nike and Vitaminwater — both of which have aired ads focused on the Kobe/LeBron matchup throughout the postseason — have taken differring approaches for the NBA Finals.
In Vitaminwater’s case, the Kobe vs. Dwight Howard matchup is far from a disappointment, as Howard is one of its endorsers. Vitaminwater plans to debut a new ad during the NBA Finals that features Howard in a spoof of its Kobe vs. LeBron debate ads. Titled “Dwight vs. Dwight,” the ads show Howard “doing some of his best impressions, as he takes on different characters who all talk about how good Howard is.”
While Vitaminwater will ditch its Kobe vs. LeBron ads, Nike does not plan to dump now famous Most Valuable Puppet campaign. Starring puppet versions of Bryant and James, the ads will conitnue to run throughout the NBA Finals.
A Nike spokesman told CNBC that the ads were about “celebrating two of the game’s best players and giving fans a glimpse into their personalities, not only on the court, but away from the game.”
