Gordon, wife team up for Sprint Nextel ad

 

Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

A Sprint Nextel commercial that debuts this month will feature Jeff Gordon as a father and a husband, marking the first time since his wife gave birth that an ad refers to the NASCAR driver's new family.

"Behind the Legend," a 30-second spot that will air on ABC, ESPN and Speed during Nextel Cup broadcasts and other NASCAR programming, depicts Jeff Gordon in the middle of a promotion when his cell phone rings. It's his real-life wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, on the other end, telling Jeff Gordon that she needs diapers for baby Ella, who was born June 20.

Jeff Gordon promises to comply and then continues with the promotion when the phone rings again. This time, Vandebosch tells Jeff Gordon with much greater urgency that she needs diapers -- now. The spot closes with Sprint Nextel promotional offers that are tied to the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Vandebosch's voice is used in the ad, but she does not appear.

The spot was created by Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, San Francisco.

It's timed to run throughout the Chase, which began on Sunday at New Hampshire and runs through the season finale at Homestead-Miami in November.

Sprint Nextel chose Jeff Gordon because he's a four-time champion and he led the Nextel Cup points standings at the end of NASCAR's regular season.

"Jeff asked Ingrid if she wanted to do the ad," said John Bickford, Jeff Gordon's stepfather and manager of Jeff Gordon Inc. "She makes her own decisions, and she said that she'd do it."

The original script called for a female voice-over to be used in the spot, but Jeff Gordon insisted that Vandebosch's voice be used instead.

Michael Smith is a reporter with SportsBusiness Journal.

This story was produced by the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service, a free content provider for newspapers. For information on how to subscribe, please e-mail NASCARWire@sportingnews.com.

 

 

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