NBA SLAM DUNKS NEW TELEVISION COMMERCIALS
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based NBA Canada, working with television partners CTV and TSN, is launching a series of television commercials aimed to educate new and developing basketball fans about the rules and references of the game. The commercials created for CTV and CTV Sportsnet were created by Turbulence Communications of Toronto. The four spots feature comedian Mike Bullard, host of Open Mike, dropping in on everyday situations and explaining basketball terms. In one spot, Mike approaches a mechanic charging a car battery. He then explains that in basketball "charging" is when the offensive player with the ball runs into a defensive player. Each spot features NBA footage that demonstrates the term being defined and ends with a playoff tune-in message and the network's logo. Commercials appearing on TSN feature NBA on TSN on-air hosts James Duthie and Paul Jones. The spots were conceived by Turbulence and produced by TSN. Each spot begins with Duthie and Jones in front of a classroom, teaching students about basketball terms. These spots also end with the TSN logo and a tune-in message. The commercials will run throughout the 1999 NBA playoffs on TSN and CTV Sportsnet and through the playoffs and finals on CTV.