Bradshaw Makes Unlikely Endorsement: Supercuts

You might not think of Terry Bradshaw as the ideal spokesman for Supercuts. But the balding football legend and sports commentator stars in new ads that tie in with the hair salon chain's new NASCAR team.

The ads, breaking this week and airing in local markets, are from McCann-Erickson in San Francisco. They also emphasize the chain's affordable haircuts. The budget was undisclosed. Supercuts spent $7 million on measured media last year, according to CMR.

Bradshaw and sports marketer Armando Fitz founded the Supercuts NASCAR team last year. The team driver is Kerry Earnhardt, son of the late racing legend Dale Earnhardt.

"Supercuts had a relationship with [Bradshaw and Fitz], and [the client] came to us with an idea for the combination," said McCann art director Andy Azula.

The first spot has Bradshaw and Earnhardt at a race. The crowd cheers furiously, but only when Earnhardt's helmet is off—presumably because of his haircut. In another commercial, Bradshaw asks what Supercuts could do for his pit crew. The next shot shows handsome pit workers with exaggerated, stylish haircuts.

"We just felt this was a perfect connection," said Supercuts mar keting director Patti Langworthy. "We've been able to bring a national chain down to a local level, and this has generated excitement."

"The challenge was to emphasize racing but also say that Supercuts is still a place to get a good haircut," Azula added.

The spots were shot at the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas. The agency rented the track for the day and piped in sound to give the spots a race-day feel.

The ads will run through the racing season and possibly longer.

Azula said Supercuts may poke fun at Bradshaw's lack of hair in later commercials. "He was more than willing to point out that he didn't have hair and that he hooked up with Supercuts," he said. "We'll get around to that."