NFL Kicker Channels Better Call Saul in Viral Pro Bowl Campaign Video
The Chargers' Cameron Dicker urges voters "don't be a dick."
There's a very particular kind of low-budget ads created by local lawyers, and that vibe permeates popular culture. It inspired the creation of Saul Goodman, Breaking Bad's own ethics-free ambulance chaser who then went on to have his own successful spinoff. Now, that same vibe is being exploited by Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker, who launched an ad to encourage fans and coaches to vote for him for the NFL Pro Bowl. Of course, this might be -- pardon the unintentional football pun -- a bit of a Hail Mary, because he's currently behind in the voting, which ends for fans today.
Voting continues for coaches until December 29th. At last count, the fan vote was going primarily to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. On December 3, when the NFL last gave an official vote count, Dicker wasn't yet in the top five.
"You ever been beaten by a missed field goal?" Dicker vamps in the video. "My name is Cameron Dicker and I'll kick for you."
Showing up in a suit and looking a bit out of place with his football player build and floppy hair against a wood-paneled office background on his green screen, he adds, "Fifty, 40, 30. Doesn't matter. I'll make it!"
You can see the ad below, via the Chargers' Instagram account. If you head over there, there's also some pretty funny green screen outtakes.
The green screen and low budget are certainly part of the ad's charm, with Dicker's campaign video also using the tried-and-true method of claiming "I didn't edit that!" after playing video that was designed specifically to look like it had been edited.
Rounding out the aforementioned top five, by the way, was Taylor Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce. Of course, it's likely the math has changed a big since the Dicker video went viral. Even then, the fan vote only counts for a third of the total consideration, with coaches and players each getting a third as well.
Dicker is no slouch; he's a rare bright spot for the Chargers with 19 out of 20 successful field goal attempts, per ET. The Chargers themselves have a 5 wins, 10 losses record this season.
The team, based out of Los Angeles, has not shied away from using its showbiz-adjacent location to try to get into the pop culture discussion. Earlier this year, they launched an anime-inspired video to introduce the team's lineup.
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