TVSquad

I think I saw the perfect commercial today. I mean it. It was quite simply the perfect marriage of product, production, message and entertainment. It was better than anything I saw during the Oscars or the Super Bowl, and that's saying something. So, have I whetted your appetite?

The commercial was for Nike and it celebrated Tiger Woods return to active competition (he's been off for over a year rehabbing from knee surgery, in case you're not a casual golf/sports fan).

Take a look and then I'll tell you why I think this spot is so special:



The whole set up, first of all, was just so clever, starting back in time with the commentators speculating how the world of professional golf would be very, very different without Tiger playing in tournaments. Then, the montage captured how other stars did emerge during Tiger's hiatus, including Anthony Kim, Stewart Cink and Justin Leonard. With Tiger out of the way, these guys were really happy. How happy? Well, that's where the choice of Lesley Gore's pop hit "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" hit the nail on the head. Upbeat, peppy and fun in a giddy, goofy way that was matched by the images. The song, by the way, was Marvin Hamlisch's first hit -- long before The Way We Were and A Chorus Line. The humor is really in the marriage of the song with the images.

Of course, as soon as Tiger appears, the song fades and so do the hopes of the other golfers who've been thriving in his absence. That last shot of the guy shaking his head says it all.

Kudos to Nike. The company was very subtle in promoting their logo -- and it worked because I recognized it as a Nike ad immediately -- and brilliantly chose to premiere the commercial the same week Tiger returned to action.