Veteran golfer Phil Mickelson dad dances and dodges drives in Mizzen+Main's first TV ad
Golfer Phil Mickelson has embraced humour in a highly meme-worthy dad dance video for clothing brand Mizzen+Main.
Mizzen+Main ad
In the brand's first ever TV ad, rolling out on the Golf Channel, the left-handed golfer embraces swift dance moves as he swats speeding golf balls out of the air.
Mickelson, with five majors to his name, enlists classic moves like the worm and channels his inner Saturday Night Fever in the spot.
ESPN interviewed the brand's chief executive Kevin Lavelle on how it produced the ad staring its famous part-owner Mickelson. For 90 minutes shooting and dancing in a warehouse, the brand has accumulated 174k views on YouTube. A small team pulled the work together in a short time, with Mickelson fairly aware how close to cringe the video is.
Chief executive Lavelle told ESPN: "We wanted to do something that highlighted what our product is capable of on one of the most well-known athletes of all time with this spot. Of course we wanted significant coverage, site traffic, sales, etc. Everyone always wants that. This ad was the absolute perfect combination of both of those main goals: demonstration of product and virality."
The brand says the flexibility and comfort of its clothing allows people to #MoveLikePhil. It directs fans to buy the shirts here.
Mickelson said: "I think that if I’m able to perform in this shirt, anybody should be able to perform in this shirt and it was a challenge for me to get these moves down, but not because of the shirt that I was wearing, but because I lack the skill, but it was fun to take me out of my comfort zone."
The work is a nod to some of the long sleeve shirts Mickelson was known to wear.
Vote for the work in The Drum's Creative Works below.
