Funniest Sports Marketing Campaigns of the 2000's

If there's one way to really connect with someone, it's humor.

Sure, there are those who like to sit down and have a heart-to-heart to get their points across, but when it comes to marketing, being funny is the real way to go.

Since it's a tactic that has worked well in sports marketing since the turn of the century, I'm giving you the funniest campaigns that have stuck the most with fans—and probably led to some increased sales along the way.

"This Is SportsCenter" (ESPN)

Some fans may call me out for adding these longtime ESPN commercials to this list, but, like it or not, the "This is SportsCenter" ads are, technically, campaigns.

From Eli and Peyton Manning touring the ESPN campus and acting like kids to NFL analyst John Clayton's wild, off-camera behavior, these commercials bring in the best of sports and combine them into one ideal, 30-second spot.

With the anchors leading the way alongside athletes and mascots, the "This is SportsCenter" ads are a sports fan's dream—as well as a symbol of the "Worldwide Leader."

Kobe Bryant's Kobe System (Nike)

In fitting Kobe Bryant fashion, these Nike ads promoting his Kobe System came with a certain wit and tongue-in-cheek humor that made fans smirk while seeing them, as well as anticipate what the next one would have in it.

This one—which specifically spoke about dominating everything that you do—involved Bryant telling Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice how to dominate retirement, along with how to dominate everything else one does like breakfast, karate and, with the help of a napping Kanye West, dominate REM sleep.

Allowing Kobe to be himself while still keeping his killer instinct, the Nike Kobe System campaign entertained fans while it ran.

Uncle Drew (Pepsi MAX)

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving might still be only 23 years old, but the kid has shown quite the on-camera presence and marketing zeal.

He proves these things with his Pepsi MAX ads as he reprises his role as Uncle Drew, a former baller and wise old man who can still cross up anyone.

Beloved by sports fans ever since the ads first aired, Uncle Drew's reputation has grown over the years, all but forcing Pepsi to retain Kyrie for more spots in the coming years by inking him to a long-term deal to appease the fans.

Michael Vick (Powerade)

The series of Powerade commercials that left some sports fans wondering if they were real or fake were some of the best in recent memory, helping the company compete in the sports drink industry with some of its competitors.

Although they were fake, it doesn't mean that they weren't entertaining, with Powerade mixing unbelievable examples of athleticism into commercials that made our favorite players seem super-human.

More than anything, each ad actually left a bit of doubt in viewers' minds, making us all wonder if a pro athlete really could do some of the things portrayed in each commercial—even though we were all foolish to even have them cross our minds.

Chris and Cliff Paul (State Farm Insurance)

One of the best alter egos for an athlete, when State Farm Insurance first introduced twins Cliff and Chris Paul, sports fans immediately began laughing.

Known for their assists—Chris with basketballs and Cliff with insurance help—these two have become a staple during NBA broadcasts, bringing a few good laughs along the way.

Making this even better is that the company has expanded on the angle of hoops-playing twins and insurance agents, as they recently brought Don and John Stockton, Darius and Damian Lillard, Summer and Sue Bird and Sebastian and Steph Curry into the mix.

Whether needing help to score a basket or file an insurance claim, these imaginary siblings have your back.

Joga Bonito (Nike)

I really wish that Nike would never have pulled the plug on the Joga Bonito ads that ran in the early 2000s, because they were absolutely brilliant.

Literally meaning "The Beautiful Game" in Portuguese, Nike's campaign showed what makes soccer just that, bringing together some of the greatest highlights that showed the joys of the sport.

One of my all-time favorites came in this particular commercial, which featured a young Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic dueling in a lovely version of H-O-R-S-E that, unlike the aforementioned Powerade adverts, didn't use CGI enhancement to show the skills these two players really have.

Entertaining and fun, Nike's Joga Bonito campaign was just incredible.

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James' Puppets (Nike)

If there's one thing that sports fans can actually complain about when it comes to the careers of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, it's that we've never had the pleasure of seeing the two greatest players of the past 15 years go head-to-head in the NBA Finals.

That doesn't mean that people weren't pushing for it, though, as these Nike ads proved when they first came out in 2009.

With both Kobe's Lakers and LeBron's Cavs making a push for a Finals showdown, the company took a gamble by releasing these ads in anticipation—and they left quite an impression on fans.

Even after James' Cavs were eliminated, Nike remained true to the campaign, running them through the title round—in which Bryant was playing with Los Angeles.

Portrayed as two trouble-making puppets who were always competing with one another, Nike seemed to reprise its popular Lil' Penny character in the roles of the two league MVPs with over a dozen entertaining commercials—it's just too bad they didn't translate into a Finals matchup, too.

Deion Sanders as Leon Sandcastle (NFL)

I, like other fans, probably didn't imagine that Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders would still be entertaining us with hilarious commercials over 25 years after he first appeared in the NFL.

Yet, there was Neon Deion, sporting a massive 'fro and an epic mustache as undercover draft prospect Leon Sandcastle, working his way toward becoming the first overall selection in this 2013 advert.

One of the flashiest athletes in the past 20 years, the NFL might not need to hype its league draft, but choosing Sanders was a move worth doing.

Similarly and just as good, the league tabbed Jerry Rice to pull the stunt the following year in 2014, making fans hope that these spots are an annual campaign to promote the next big stars.

Blake Griffin (Kia Motors)

Over the years, there may not be any better marketing campaign that involved an athlete than Kia Motors' inclusion of Los Angeles Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin, which has helped bring the car brand to the forefront of the NBA landscape in terms of sponsorships, too.

Just as Griffin has evolved from a former No. 1 overall pick to a freak of nature on the basketball court, Kia has been thrust into the mainstream, using its catchy commercials with Griffin to parlay some more air time.

From former angles like time travel and Griffin Force, to the newest ones that cast the superstar in blockbuster movie-like roles, Kia has a clear vision on how to use Blake's humor to build its brand.

Terry Tate Office Linebacker (Reebok)

What happens when you put an enraged linebacker in an office setting where everyday people don't do what they're supposed to? Absolute hilarity.

When Reebok introduced Terry Tate, Office Linebacker to sports fans during Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, it began a viral sensation that had people spending hours on YouTube trying to see all of the different scenarios poor workers were getting themselves into.

From incorrect cover sheets to long lunch breaks, Tate's pain train helped increase the fictional company's productivity by 46 percent—and made about 99 percent of viewers crack up while watching him do it.