Bleacher Report Serves Up a Riotous Remake of Blackalicious' 'Alphabet Aerobics'

"A" is for advertising. "V" is for … viral video? Blackalicious' frenetic 1999 tongue-twister "Alphabet Aerobics" gets a sporty update in this animated music video from Bleacher Report. The two-minute clip, "Sports Alphabet," was created by ad agency barrettSF and production house Gentleman Scholar. Debuting today online, and during tonight's NBA game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat on TNT, the work marks the Turner Sports site's first major push into brand advertising. As in the iconic original, Gift of Gab's rapping gains intensity and speed as he burns through lyrics tied to letters of the alphabet. The original's dizzying cascade of cultural references and nonsense rhymes, however, have been replaced by sports-themed lyrics, with fabulously fun, vivacious visuals driving the message home. For example, the first verse, "Alley-alley-alley-alley-oop on amateurs/Air above all and any actors that's average," features alley cats playing basketball. The second, "Big barbarian basically beasting/Biters get blown up being brave, beatings," shows a helmeted behemoth mercilessly trampling his gridiron opponents, even tossing one into orbit. (We can safely assume the NFL approved neither the sentiment nor the imagery.) "The Bleacher Report brand is getting bigger and louder, so we needed a spot that was big and loud," Bennett Spector, the site's creative marketing adviser, tells AdFreak. "Hopefully the spot feels authentic to the new wave of sports consumption." Indeed, the pop-culture tie-in and nod to '90s/'00s nostalgia feels like a winning play. "As the social voice of sports, our focus is on content that triggers social action," Spector says. "We knew from Daniel Radcliffe's viral performance of 'Alphabet Aerobics' on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that this spot would have the potential to explode." Fallon's clip from a year ago garnered more than 50 million views on YouTube alone. Can Bleacher Report's brand-slam remix hope to scale such heights? "We want the viewer to be genuinely entertained," Spector says. "People should want to watch this commercial over and over, not fast-forward. If the viewer walks away wanting more, then we've done our job." Credits—and lyrics!—below. LYRICS: "Sports Alphabet" GIRL: Now it's time for our wrap up. Let's give it everything we've got. Ready? Begin. GIFT OF GAB: Alley-alley-alley-alley-oop on amateurs Air above all and any actors that's average Big barbarian basically beasting Biters get blown up being brave, beatings Casually, I chef cash cheddar, fools get casualties and caught off guard with chin music Dirty when I drop dimes damaging the dang earth Devastate the defense detonate danger Entertainer entertaining everyone and every mass Enemies is envious ain't even peep the elbow pass Fire en fuego flick of the wrist foes in Fear of the fury left flattened and frozen Gloves off for the glass jaw by the goons G.O.A.T of all G.O.A.T.S gone giddy gettin' through Human joystick, heating up, heat check BLAM Hit 'em hard, hella hyped, hero going H.A.M. I'm isolated on islands it's over, it's over Ice in your veins getting colder Juke jock jerk to those who aren't worthy Jamming through my journey in a jet black jersey King Kong of K.O.s kid kiss the ring Knuckle up now with the knuckle buck king Lemme live a long life leading with my laces out Right now losers look up cause it's lights out My moves marvelous, money shot, massive Main event, moon-shot, MVP, master Nails in the coffin knots in their knees, triumph Nutmeg through their knees nothing but nylon Opposition oft on the ropes in the octagon One-two, punched out, lights going off and on Pillow picked passes of prolific poetry Power plays, pickpocketing petty phonies Quest for the cup, it's quantum y'all, quote me Quiet all quitters feeling qualms when we're quarreling Raw ringside riots relish and remain Rallying, rough rated rhymes make it rain Swishin' on simple soft suckers spitting swag Slice dice shimmy nothing-but-net, splash. Turnt up, taking out timid minds. Twister. Leave 'em turnt out, they are truck stick victims Unstoppable ups, stay uninvolved Unanimous, universal, year of the underdog Vicious and vital, victories calling Volley y'all out victorious velocity Bob and weave well, wide receiving words woven Moonwalk when I whip, get the world open X-celling, X-treme, X-tra X-plosive X-hilarating X-out competition so quick Yolo pass rhymes, y'all young bucks fall Yoga stretch rhymes yelling yiggy yes y'alls Zero zero zero on the clock, game's over zoomin to the zenith, zero out, in my zone, ZONING!!! GIRL: Ha, ha, ha, ha. Good. Can you say it faster? CREDITS Title: "Sports Alphabet" Client: Bleacher Report Creative Credits: Bleacher Report "Sports Alphabet" Agency: barrettSF Agency Location: San Francisco, CA Executive Creative Directors: Pete Harvey & Jamie Barrett Associate Creative Director: Brad Kayal Senior Copywriter: Jake Reilly Art Director: Byron Wages Senior Producer: Nicole Van Dawark Producer: Patrick Wilkinson Associate Producer: Charlotte Dugoni Managing Director: Patrick Kelly Account Director: Molly Warner Production Company: Gentleman Scholar Directors: William Campbell & Will Johnson Executive Producer: Jo Arghiris Head of Production: Rachel Kaminek Associate Creative Director: John-Patrick Rooney Art Director: Jordan Lyle CG Supervisor: Tim Hayward Producer: Nikki Maniolas Associate Producer: Nicole Smarsh Design: Trevor Conrad, Chris Finn, Sarah Beth Hulver, Jordan Lyle, Macauley Johnson, John-Patrick Rooney, Calla Donofrio, Hana Eunjin Yean 2D Animation: Chris Finn, Sarah Beth Hulver, Jordan Lyle, Macauley Johnson, John-Patrick Rooney, Shawn Kim Cel Animation: Tristan Balos, Taik Lee, Stephanie Simpson, Harry Teitelman Character Animation: Blake Beynon, James Lane Music: Blackalicious Sound Design: Barking Owl Sound Designer: Michael Anastasi Creative Director: Kelly Bayett Producer: KC Dossett Audio Mix: One Union Recording Engineer: Matt Zipkin Executive Producer: Lauren Mask

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Bleacher Report Serves Up a Riotous Remake of Blackalicious' 'Alphabet Aerobics'

Talk about devastating the defense

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David Gianatasio