The two-minute ad comes from ESPN and features Santa Claus making a bold move: he decides to become a free agent in the NBA.
As the ad shows, it turns out Santa Claus is an asset many teams want on their squad. He’s shown leaping over sleighs and dribbling a basketball while holding a giant gift in his other hand. While his skills are wanted on the court, that doesn’t mean he’s abandoned his Christmas duties. At one point, Santa reads a letter from “Bron Bron” asking him to help beat the surging Golden State Warriors.
If that wasn’t enough, several actual NBA players also chime in on the man alternatively known as “Candy Cane Man,” “Red Velvet” and “One Night Only,” as Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans deadpans. James Harden of the Houston Rockets, meanwhile, reveals that Santa Claus also has a “nasty” list. You can also catch “interviews” with DeAndre Jordan of the LA Clippers and LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs.
The spot was created by Wieden + Kennedy, a big name in sports advertising. Just last month, the agency released a KFC ad during an NFL game featuring yet another actor playing Colonel Sanders.
This also isn’t ESPN’s first encounter with Santa Claus. Last year, ESPN held a press conference with the jolly fellow, asking him, among other questions, who the nicest NBA player of the year is and which of the network’s commentators are on the naughty list.
