Capital One’s entertaining TV ads starring Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee have become part of March Madness in recent years, and a new ad I saw Sunday afternoon might be the best one yet.
It reminds me of talk show host James Corden and his addictive “Carpool Karaoke” segments in which Corden sings along with great artists such as Elton John and Adele.
Corden is the driver, he gets a famous passenger so he can drive in the carpool lane in Los Angeles and they have a good time singing on his way to work.
The new ad featuring Sir Charles, Sam J and Spike has Sam J doing the driving with Sir Charles as the front-seat passenger and Spike in the back, and together they sing one of the most corny and cringe-worthy hits of the 1970s: “Escape,” better known as “The Pina Colada Song” by Rupert Holmes.
You can see a clip of the commercial.
That three of my heroes sing “Pina Colada” together in a commercial is a funny idea and a surprise, and it’s a pleasant surprise because they sing it well.
I call the ad “Pina Colada Car Karaoke” and it is so good I think Corden would get a kick out of it.
I can’t wait to see the ad again, and I’m sure I will see it many times during the NCAA Tournament.
Watch the ad, take a listen and you will get happy.
A story about the 2016 Capital One March Madness ad campaign is at NY Sports Journalism.
