David Beckham stars in global TV ad for Sharpie pens

by Ed Kemp Marketing 27-Jun-08, 08:50

LONDON - Football star David Beckham will appear in a TV ad for marker pen brand Sharpie that will break globally next week. It ties in to a promotion that challenges entrants to 'Think Beckham and be bold'.

Earlier this year the US-based brand announced a two-year global partnership with Beckham. The footballer's first global TV spot shows him using various Sharpie markers to autograph a variety of unusual items for fans. When the time comes to return the Sharpie marker to its owner, Beckham resists and clowns around before eventually returning the pen.

The ad breaks in the UK on 1 July.

Sharpie's work with Beckham spans key regions including North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific and includes advertising, in-store displays and packaging, as well as a revamped global website.

It also includes a consumer promotion encouraging people to 'Write out loud with Sharpie and win' a chance to meet Beckham. From next month consumers can enter the promotion by visiting www.sharpie.com and submitting images of everyday items - from the mundane to the outlandish - that they have designed and decorated using Sharpies.

The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to meet the former England captain.