Arnell Calls TV Signals for Football Pros

NEW YORK In an ad campaign that takes its theme directly from reality TV, Reebok will break a television campaign this weekend that puts 11 National Football League players into one house for a season to see how they will react.

The effort, via Arnell Goup, New York, highlighting Reebok's NFL Equipment, Gridiron Classics and Team Apparel collections, will include five 30-second and four 10-second spots to air throughout the 2004 NFL season on ABC, CBS, ESPN and the NFL Network. The first spot breaks Sunday, Sept. 26.

Featured players include Donovan McNabb, Jevon Kearse, David Akers, Daunte Culpepper, Plaxico Burress, Kellen Winslow II, Chad Pennington, John Lynch, Chad Johnson, Torry Holt and Tony Gonzalez. In addition, in one of the ads, Pro Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders makes a guest appearance at the roommates' Thanksgiving dinner. Rich Eisen of the NFL Network narrates each ad.

Supporting print will run in the Oct. 4 and 25 issues of Sports Illustrated and the Oct. 11 and 18 issues of ESPN the Magazine.

Among the scenarios, Johnson and Winslow fight over a bedroom, players steal Burress' peanut butter, Akers kicks a ball into a neighbor's window, Kearse busts up the front door while moving in a tackling dummy, and Winslow and Burress try to dig a Jacuzzi in the backyard. In each spot, Eisen adds, "It's gonna be quite a season."

—Brandweek staff report