Are there any NFL fans out there? Is there anyone like us who noticed that on occasion, you could turn on the television last year and watch what seemed to be an episode of "The Peyton Manning Show," interspersed with occasional bursts of football action? The Indianapolis Colts quarterback was pitching anything and everything.
We know we weren't the only ones who noticed this phenomenon, because we caught the guys on the HBO football show talking about it one day. We were wondering if all-Manning, all-the-time was really a good way to move product, and still wonder because as we write this, we cannot remember a single one of the products he was pushing (by contrast, we're still haunted by Mr. Whipple and his bizarre and repugnant Charmin' toilet paper fixation). So it is with some trepidation that we read off a PR wire that there is another Manning taking to the airwaves, this time on behalf of the Citizen Watch Company.
This time it's little brother Eli Manning of the New York Giants, headed for a television screen or magazine page near you. Citizen is also using athletes from the golf, tennis, basketball, auto racing, skiing and cricket worlds.
RBR observation: We have nothing against either Manning brother. However, we live in a particular media market with its own NFL franchise. The Indianapolis Colts are in a different conference, which leaves the rabid fans in our market more or less indifferent to that team's players. The New York Giants are another matter – they are not only in our conference, they are in our division – in short, they are the enemy. Eli enters hostile territory when his commercials air here.
In the interest of full disclosure, we have a one of Citizen's fine products on our wrist at this very moment, but it's not there because some celebrity endorsed it. We do like the Eco-Drive power feature that keeps it running without any effort on our part, and in an ecologically friendly manner to boot. So maybe Woodsy Owl should be the celebrity endorser. Anyway, we wish Citizen good luck with their campaign – just don't expect us to remember what it was Eli Manning was endorsing any longer than a few seconds after his pitch has been completed.
