If you’re young enough to be buying yourself a skateboard, odds are good you never bought your ice cream from a charming, cavalier gentleman decked out in 1950s garb and riding a red tricycle.
Fret not, says this ad, titled “Hoppssicles,” from skateboard brand Hopps and director Marcus Manoogian. You can still get something just as sweet from such a carefree fellow—your own Hopps skateboard.
In a cheeky throwback to the bygone days of sunny, upbeat cinema, professional skater and Hopps founder Jahmal Williams dons period costume—complete with thick-rimmed glasses, bow tie, and folding white paper hat, and pedals around town peddling treats to kids out of the cooler hitched to the back of his ride. Frankie Avalon’s dreamy 1959 hit “Venus” plays throughout. A rainbow cornucopia of popsicles flashes periodically across the screen. But there’s no fruit-flavored ice to be found in this cart. Instead, when he’s swarmed by eager customers, the skateboard man’s trunk opens to reveal magical Fudgesicle, Cherry, and Banana flavored decks that spring out into the air, leaping right into the hands of his delighted customers.
Don’t feel like actually dragging yourself along? Just jump on your new board, grab ahold, and the skateboard man will happily pull you along for as long as he’s going your way. Once the job’s done, a still-beaming Williams takes flight across the skyline and rides off into the sunset, and the spot closes with the tagline rolling across the screen in script: “Enjoy the ride.”
Of course, to get as high as the skateboard man seems to be, you’ll need something a lot more psychedelic than a new set of wheels.
CREDITS:
Client: Hopps Skateboards
Spot: "Hoppssicles"
Director: Marcus Manoogian
Ice Cream Man: Jahmal Williams
