by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Fan of Both the NFL and Andrew McGregor…
So maybe you’ve seen these NFL commercials with the bearded guy in the suit (created by agency David & Goliath)…
And perhaps you said to yourself, “WTF? Who is that guy and why is he the spokesman for the NFL?” Or maybe you said, “Wow, what a great character, how did they come up with that idea?”
I had another take on the commercial: “Is that my friend Andrew McGregor?”
Andrew, in the TEDx video above, is a modern-day renaissance man:
- combat photojournalist
- founder of the award-winning nonprofit Tiziano Project
- comic book publisher (he also founded Graphation and his alter ego is Captain Africa)
- writer with a master’s degree in professional writing from USC
- world champion chessboxer (yes, chessboxing is a real sport, and speaking of goliaths, Andrew is a giant of a man in so many respects)
- and aspiring robot developer.
Oh, and before I forget, Andrew also occasionally flaunts a beard, three-piece suit, and bursts of a British accent when he appears at venues around the world, including the SXSW festival and my college classes. He’s been doing that for years — long before this NFL campaign came out.
Yes, there are differences: Andrew has a passion for doing good in the world, while the guy in the commercial is purely a clown. And Andrew hates football. So, obviously, very different characters, right?
Now, let’s give David & Goliath the benefit of the doubt and assume that the agency came up with this character 100% on their own.
I just ask you this favor:
The next time you see those NFL commercials, think of Andrew and the great work that’s he’s done. And take a break from fantasy football to check out the Tiziano Project, where you’ll find real heroes making a real difference in the real world.
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