In a new ad campaign for K-SWISS, Kenny Powers of Eastbound & Down fame is more than just a celebrity brand endorser — he’s the self-anointed CEO of the company. Powers, who’s played by Danny McBride in the irreverent HBO series about a self-destructive baseball player,will appear in a series of spots with athletes and Hollywood types. The first commercial airs during ESPN’s annual ESPY awards on Wednesday night.
“Kenny Powers has definitely helped trumpet the assets of TUBES training footwear in an irreverent and unique way,” said Chris Kyle, vice president of marketing at K-SWISS. “With this new chapter of our campaign, we’re pushing the limits of how traditional sports companies market, and hopefully making a lot of people laugh in the process. At the end of the day, the campaign is meant to connect the young male audience with our product in a meaningful, original and completely entertaining way – that’s our goal.”
In the new campaign, created with agency partner 72andSunny, Powers’ mission as CEO is to change the sports world from being “so safe and lame ass” to “being more gonzo” by any means necessary. Well-known figures appearing in the campaign include Patrick Willis of the 49ers, Matt Cassel of the Chiefs, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Transformers director Michael Bay, wrestler Rey Mysterio, fitness guru Jillian Michaels and UFC fighter Jon “Bones” Jones.
Hopefully he hires Bob Seger as musical coordinator, because Still the Same ought to be the theme music for this campaign.