Advertising
Getty Images/John Lamparski
Robert Griffin III with a bust of himself made from Subway's Smokehouse BBQ Chicken subs.
But we're not here to talk about the evils of brainwashing children with superstars - we will leave that to chef Jamie Oliver, who often rants about the subject.
What we are here to look at is just how goofy these ads can get when they associate incredibly fit people with intensely sugary and fatty products.
Most athletes happen to be terrible actors, and the ones who aren't bad (Peyton Manning, actually, is the only one who comes to mind) are forced to read awful lines, anyway.
Sports drink giants Gatorade and Powerade make products that are basically sugar, water, and sodium, but they're actually not unhealthy when associated with exercise - and both brands have had cool commercials.
As for Red Bull, well, no one really argues that energy drinks are healthy, but Red Bull runs events that fit the brand's image, and with high production values, to boot. It put a guy in space and had him plummet to Earth! So we'll let it slide, too.
We will check out some corny ads and promotions that will make you wonder how the partnerships ever started in the first place.
You will notice some repeated faces. The report we referred to earlier, from the American Academy of Pediatrics lists LeBron James, Serena Williams, Peyton Manning, Tony Stewart, and Apollo Ohno among the top ten athletes associated with the most food brands with low nutritional content.