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NBA Bans Off-White Cream-Colored Uniforms Due To Effect On TV Screens

Posted on by Phil Lam X

The light-colored jersey blends right in with the floorboards—causing problems for digital advertisers.

Just when you thought companies couldn’t possibly shove more advertisements into your eye sockets, technology proved it was possible. Digital (or virtual) ads are promos inserted into media post-production or in real time. They first emerged in video games, then started creeping into TV shows on streaming platforms. And during the pandemic, digital ads began making their way onto the basketball court in NBA broadcasts.

On top of ensuring that nowhere in sports is safe from commercialization, the virtual ads have had at least one other, unintended side effect: They killed a well-loved team uniform. In a green screen-style snafu, certain jerseys were too close in color to the polished wooden floors of NBA arenas. Thus, digital ads ended up distorted by players wearing the offending outfits, as first reported by Paul Lukas, the uniform-obsessed aesthetics aficionado who writes the popular UniWatch newsletter.

Specifically, the proliferation of digital ads forced the Milwaukee Bucks’ to give up their cream-colored jerseys. The uniforms were an alternate used during some games from 2017-2020. The colorway was inspired by the team’s home city nickname (in turn, inspired by a local building material). Fans of the Wisconsin franchise loved the look, according to Lukas who spoke with the Bucks’ chief marketing officer, Dustin Godsey. “It was incredibly well received,” Godsey told Lukas. “It helped us kind of build that Cream City brand.”

But there was a problem. The teams’ sponsors started noticing that players wearing the jerseys were getting in the way of their ads—and reported a “pixelation effect,” said Godsey. As a result, the Milwaukee uniforms (and all cream uniforms) were banned NBA-wide. The move also impacts the Philadelphia 76ers, who’ve had a “parchment” colored uniform variant in rotation for the past three seasons, according to Lukas.

It may seem a small thing, but the off-white prohibition is a clear signal of the growing influence that advertisers are having in the sports league and beyond—and the technology enabling that influence. Ad tech is big business, arguably the biggest business—maybe even the only business.

Source: Gizmodo

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Pepsi And IHOP Are Teaming Up For A Breakfast-Inspired Soda

Posted on by Phil Lam X

Pepsi has teamed up with breakfast giant IHOP to create an all-new soda designed for the early mornings. On Thursday, the cola maker announced plans for a maple syrup-inspired beverage that boasts the same classic refreshment of a Pepsi but with a definitively IHOP twist.

So if you’ve ever sucked down a Pepsi right alongside your brunch pancakes and thought, “Now this is a combo,” you’re in luck! On March 24, Pepsi kicked off the sweepstakes on social media, giving fans the chance to win their own six-pack. While Pepsi Maple Syrup will not be joining retailers (yet, at least—you can never say never), you can post a photo or video of your stacks online alongside the hashtag #ShowUsYourStack, #PepsiSweepstakes, and @IHOP. Then, 2,000 winners will have a chance to try the first-of-its-kind flavor.

“There is truly nothing quite like the indulgent taste of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola—sweet maple syrup blended with the refreshing taste of Pepsi cola. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with IHOP on this special initiative, as it isn’t often we get to bring together two iconic brands to satisfy the cravings of pancake and Pepsi lovers alike,” Chief Marketing Officer for Pepsi Todd Kaplan said in a press release. “We can’t wait to celebrate those who have an unapologetic love of pancakes by giving the limited-edition cans to 2,000 fans who #ShowUsYourStack online.” 

Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola—which we can only assume tastes exactly how it sounds—follows similar innovations from the drink manufacturer, including a Peeps-inspired Pepsi, Pepsi Apple Pie, and Pepsi x Cracker Jack.

“At IHOP we celebrate our history of bringing folks together and providing a sense of togetherness, belonging and joy when they dine with us,” chief marketing officer for IHOP Kieran Donahue added in the release. “We are thrilled to partner with Pepsi to have some fun and create a moment for our guests to bring home an additional source of happiness with this limited-edition Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola.” 

Source: Thrillist

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos And Doritos Tease New Super Bowl Ad And A Mysterious Celebrity Spokesperson

Posted on by Phil Lam X

Flamin’ Hot has its first ever Super Bowl ad on the way, and they’ve recruited a flamin’ hot celebrity spokesperson to help them celebrate!

Frito-Lay, the company behind the über-popular flavor, is bringing two of its iconic brands together — Cheetos and Doritos — for the new Flamin’ Hot spot, highlighting Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Crunchy and the new Doritos Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch.

PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the commercial, and the A-List superstar talent holding the spicy, cheese-flavored snacks for the camera.

Right now, the identity of the spokesperson is being kept under wraps, though there are plenty of clues to get the guessing going.

In the photos, the mysterious celeb’s hand is decked in bling. A diamond bracelet hangs from their wrist, while one pic features a sparkling braided ring and another, a golden ring seemingly made up of stacked yellow diamond bands.

The secret star’s nails make a statement, too, with bright red tips studded in red gems.

This is one of the first Super Bowl ads to be teased this year.

The big game, Super Bowl LVI, will take place on Feb. 13 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

While sports fans are weeks away from finding out who will be playing, it’s been announced that Dr. Dre is headlining the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, with Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg making guest appearances.

“The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career,” Dre in a press release when news came out back in September. “I’m grateful to JAY-Z, Roc Nation, the NFL, and Pepsi as well as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar for joining me in what will be an unforgettable cultural moment.”

Frito-Lay’s Flamin’ Hot flavor was first introduced as Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the product making it out to test markets in the summer of 1990 before being launched nationwide in early 1992.

Richard Montañez — who began working for Frito-Lay as a janitor — has long said he created the product, telling Variety he came up with the idea during one of Frito-Lay’s “method improvement programs” where they looked for new ideas and fresh products. He later tested out the seasoning for the Cheetos in his garage.

Frito-Lay’s subsidiary PepsiCo later clarified to PEOPLE that they attribute “the launch and success of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and other products to several people who worked at PepsiCo, including Richard Montañez.”

“Far from being an urban legend, Richard had a remarkable 40-plus-year career at PepsiCo and made an incredible impact on our business and employees and continues to serve as an inspiration today,” the statement read. “His insights and ideas on how to better serve Hispanic consumers were invaluable and directly resulted in the success of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.”

Montañez has gone on to write two books about his success, spoken about it in multiple engagements, and even will see his life told on the big screen in an upcoming biopic.

And the beloved spicy snack food has since inspired a sea of unique food offerings — like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Mac n’ Cheese, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Mountain Dew, and Taco Bell’s Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Taco Shells — as well as a seemingly never-ending list of at-home recipes involving the product, including sushi rolls, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, and even macarons.

Source: People

JOB FINISHED | A look back at the media’s disrespect of the 2020 Lakers

Posted on by Phil Lam X

They said LeBron came to Los Angeles just to make movies and that he had a better chance of winning an Emmy than a championship.

They said that even with Anthony Davis, the Lakers’ roster sucked & was clearly worse than the Clippers.

They said they were an overrated 1-seed who needed wishes of good luck to beat the Portland Trail Blazers & Houston Rockets.

Instead, the Los Angeles Lakers are your 2020 NBA Champions. And in case you forgot how dead wrong they’ve been since day one? Just sit back and watch.

NBA Came In $1.5 billion Under Revenue Projections In 2020, Targets Dec 22 As Start To Coming Season

Posted on by Phil Lam X

The board is targeting a Dec. 22 start to what would be a season of 70 to 72 games, with the NBA Finals ending in June again as has been in the case for many years, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press Friday on condition of anonymity because no plan has been finalized, said the possibility of fans being at games would hinge on how a particular market is faring against the coronavirus at that time.

There are other options, such as waiting until later in the season to begin play with the hope that more arenas would be able to have fans. But starting in December instead of mid-January or later could generate a difference of roughly $500 million in revenue, the person said.

Revenue projections for the league this season were missed by about $1.5 billion, the person said. The losses were the result of a combination of factors — the shutdown caused by the pandemic, the cancelation of 171 regular-season games, completing the season in a bubble at Walt Disney World without fans, the nearly $200 million price tag for operating that bubble and a yearlong rift with the Chinese government that saw NBA games not shown on state television there.

Source: The Associated Press

How Chefs In The NBA Bubble Make 4,000 Meals A Week

Posted on by Phil Lam X

Alexia Grant, aka Chef Lex, was one of 10 chefs invited to cook for players inside the NBA bubble. From her kitchen at Disney World, she launched the pop-up restaurant Comfort Kitchen, specializing in Caribbean and Southern comfort food. Since, she’s cooked for players from every team in the bubble, including the Miami Heat, the LA Lakers, and the Denver Nuggets. But cooking under strict quarantine isn’t easy. She can’t leave the bubble to do her own shopping and has to rely on runners to deliver her food to the players in the inner bubble.

Pro-immigration group Immigrants’ List Civic Action launches ad targeting Trump’s ‘attacks against Asian Americans’

Posted on by Phil Lam X

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A progressive pro-immigration group is launching an ad targeting Asian American voters in battleground states by highlighting President Trump’s controversial rhetoric about the coronavirus.

The group, Immigrants’ List Civic Action, will air the ad featuring what the group calls Trump’s “attacks against Asian Americans” digitally and on connected television in the key states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The 60-second ad intersperses clips of Trump calling the virus the “Chinese flu,” “Chinese virus” and “kung flu,” along with reports of rises in anti-Asian discrimination, according to a copy of the ad shared with The Hill.

Asked about the group’s assessment of Trump’s “attacks against Asian Americans,” the Trump campaign defended the president’s comments regarding the coronavirus.

“President Trump is not afraid to call out China, and he also strongly stated that we must protect Asian Americans because they bear no responsibility whatsoever for the Chinese virus,” campaign spokesman Matt Wolking said in a statement. “The fault lies with China alone, and when Chinese officials tried to blame American troops for the virus, President Trump fought back against their disinformation campaign by making it very clear where the virus originated.”

The campaign highlighted comments from one of the president’s White House briefings in April where he stated that “it’s very important that we totally protect our Asian American community in the United States and all around the world. They’re amazing people, and the spreading of the virus is not their fault in any way, shape, or form.”

Source: The Hill