I’m surprised Beats by Dre — the California-based audio device company founded by legendary rapper Dr. Dre — is not hiring for psychics on their job board.
That may sound crazy, and it is — until you watch the newest commercial put out by Beats.
For context: Yesterday, the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers in a game of football and will play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.
Richard Sherman, well-known for his trash-talking and superior defensive skills, effectively ended the game after deflecting a pass in the end zone that turned into an interception.
Then, during an on-field postgame interview minutes later, Sherman delivered a mini tirade directed at Michael Crabtree, the San Francisco wide receiver who went up against Sherman on that game-ending play and a guy who he’s had history with.
“I’m the best corner[back] in the game,” he yelled at the camera. “When you taunt me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get. Don’t you ever talk about me!”
His comments set off a wildfire among fans and media, with some in support of the raw emotions and others taking issue with Sherman’s “lack of class,” even going as far as calling the Hawks star a “thug.”
Sherman, who explained his actions today in this well-written column, has always answered questions about his outspoken personality and flashy showmanship. And that’s exactly what the focus was for the newest Beats by Dre commercial, the latest in a series which feature well-known athletes — 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick starred in the last one — blocking out opposing fan distraction with, of course, Beats’ noise-canceling headphones.
The latest spot shows Sherman not with rival fans, but instead a pack of reporters hounding him with rapid fire questions in the locker room. He’s asked about exactly everything I mentioned above — trash-talking, being called a “thug,” etc. There’s even a media member who whispers to his buddy, “he thinks he’s so f****** untouchable,” which is what many think of Sherman, a player who in my mind is largely misunderstood.
Here’s the kicker: The promo was published hours before Sunday’s game, and well before Sherman let loose on national television. The fact that Sherman actually ended up talking trash in front of millions of viewers and then had to answer questions about it — just like the commercial — makes you wonder what magic the Beats’ marketing department has going for them.
Here’s the video’s description on YouTube:
Distractions kill your focus. So Richard Sherman wears Beats by Dre Studio Wireless to stay in the zone. Watch him silence his critics in the full “Hear What You Want” director’s cut by Paul Hunter.
Of course, Beats took advantage of the situation on Twitter:
One win away from World Champions. The critics have officially been silenced. Congrats to @RSherman_25! pic.twitter.com/hHMFxpLWs3
— Beats By Dre (@beatsbydre) January 20, 2014
.@RSherman_25 silenced the critics. Watch how he did it: http://t.co/dejZaUlF4f pic.twitter.com/rc6SLGixlB
— Beats By Dre (@beatsbydre) January 20, 2014
And had the spot front-and-center on its homepage:
It all added up to impeccable timing for Beats, as there was more talk about Sherman on Monday than the actual epic game itself. Guess there’s something special about being in the right place at the right time.
