Carmelo Anthony's people of Utah? What... the... hell?

The latest TV commercial featuring Carmelo Anthony is flat-out bizarre, and not only because it represents his head as a sun rising above the horizon -- iconography that blends Teletubbies with the Unification Church. As you'll see in the clip above, the tribute to His Basketball Eminence is delivered by...

By Michael Roberts

April 21, 2010

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The latest TV commercial featuring Carmelo Anthony is flat-out bizarre, and not only because it represents his head as a sun rising above the horizon -- iconography that blends Teletubbies with the Unification Church. As you'll see in the clip above, the tribute to His Basketball Eminence is delivered by "Melo's people of Utah."

This is all part of an elaborate (and loopy) campaign to hype Anthony's Jordan Brand shoes, as confirmed to the Denver Post. By airing the spot during the Nuggets' playoff series against, yep, Utah, the company is sure to garner extra attention for Melo's kicks -- and it's a lot more fun to watch than, say, a commercial featuring him staring at the camera while being lectured by his dead father. Unless you're from Utah, that is.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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