Converse Dr. J Commercial

To celebrate 100 years of being a true original and innovator on the basketball court, Converse will launch a unique television spot featuring one of the game’s most exciting and influential players ever – Julius “Dr. J” Erving.

Widely credited as the first player to bring the game of professional basketball “above the rim,” Erving made some of the most memorable, jaw-dropping plays in the ABA and NBA in the ‘70s and ‘80s. His elite, graceful athleticism, as well as his on and off-court style and professionalism, has made Erving one of the most celebrated players of the last 30 years, and a true original and ambassador of the game.

The :15 second television spot features slow motion game footage from a contest between the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls during the 1985-86 NBA season. The spot features a voice over of an announcer stating the NBA Slam Dunk contest rules. It begins with Erving receiving the ball near mid-court. He then glides toward the basket in his classic, effortless stride that became his signature, before putting down a violent, “Rock the Cradle” slam dunk in front of an exploding crowd.

The spot is the last in Converse’s “Disruption” campaign, launched in December to celebrate their 100th anniversary of disrupting the status quo. The campaign features other spots including “Hendrix,” “Pageant,” “Marketers” and “MeWe.”

The spot began airing Monday, February 11, 2008 on ESPN Sportscenter, and will continue to run on ESPN, Fox Sports and TNT through February 23. To coincide with NBA All-Star Weekend, the spot will air during TNT’s coverage of the dunk contest on All-Star Saturday night.

Following on the heels of the ad spot, Converse will re-issue the Pro Leather 1976, which was made famous by Julius “Dr. J” Erving and enjoyed immense popularity when he began to wear the shoe in 1976, and became a standard for the court warriors in playgrounds like NYC’s Rucker Park. The limited edition shoe will be available on April 1 for $70.