This Ad Is a Viral Hit: ‘Say NO to Crack, Say YES! to Roller Skating’
- Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:10am by
Scott Baker
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RENO, Nev. (AP) — A commercial going viral on YouTube tells kids to say “no” to crack and “yes” to a Nevada roller rink.
The 90-second spot was developed for Roller Kingdom in Reno by comedy duo Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. It had nearly 240,000 views on YouTube by midday Friday, four days after it was posted online.
The campy video features a drug dealer offering pills to a boy, a man trying to lure children into a van with candy, and gang members inviting kids to spray paint bridges.
The children tell the bad guys they’d rather be roller skating.
Roller Kingdom owner Brad Armstrong tells KRNV-TV that the duo offered to produce the commercial for free so they could show it on their cable TV show, “Rhett and Link: Commercial Kings.”
__
Ready or not — here is the actual ad:
The commercial was the idea of self-proclaimed internetainers Rhett and Link whose TV show, “Rhett and Link: Commercial Kings” debuted on IFC a year ago. Rhett and Link actually approached owner Brad Armstrong and offered to do this commercial free of charge so they could feature it on their TV show.
“I’m kind of an out of the box guy myself. So I was all for it. I was like yeah, let’s do it,” says Armstrong.
Local Reno resident, Michael Swift, says this creative commercial is something he would expect from Armstrong.
“I think he’s a big kid on the inside so the commercial comes out to be so creative,” says Swift.
And the anti-drug message is sinking in, but it’s only a part of the message.
“Roller skating has been a very beneficial part of my life. Not only am I in the business now, I probably avoided a lot of things they portrayed in the commercial by roller skating,” says Armstrong.
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Comments (44)
grannyrecipe
Posted on April 29, 2012 at 4:19amI liked roller skat‘n as a little bugger and I dang’tia that if’n there was a rink here, I would go a skat’n!
somewhat related song by Joni Mitchell;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFudDAYqxY
Report Post »DreWells
Posted on April 29, 2012 at 1:02amLooks like something Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job would do.
Report Post »markchristopher
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:35pmCampy, but effective. Good for them!!!
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 10:12pmI grew up roller skating at my home and sometimes we would go to the rink. Such fun. Kids should do that more today, might keep them out of trouble.
Report Post »Roor rips 860
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 10:33pmnow i saw a commerical for the movie ATL i have a good taste in films so i never saw it but a black girl in my class a few years ago said lots of shady things go on at the roller rink in the film and my friend who actually lives in hotlanta got into a fist fight at one over a girl. Now you tell me roller rinks arnt dangerous. Gooooooo Mountaineers lets gooo drink some beers
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 9:35pmI like it! :D
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 7:00pmThat girl is delusional if she thinks because she is skating today she is going to college tomorrow .She is like 12 years old.
Report Post »I dont think that “boy” has any choice about pregnancy wanted or not.
lukerw
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 7:46pmTough to get PG on skates!
Report Post »N-TIME-WATCHER
Posted on April 29, 2012 at 7:45amWhat’s are your ideas? What’s up with the negitivity? We are all given choices and that “Boy” and that “Delusional” Girl can choose! Each and every one of us has CHOICES!!!!!!!!! What’s are your ideas?
Report Post »SOUNDTHETRUMPET
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 6:40pmWhen the Government shows up and says I am here to help you……..Tell the communist pig your are going roller skating.
Report Post »ijava44
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 6:57pmGreatest commercial everr!!!
Report Post »birthathomemom
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 5:04pmI have been reading The Blaze since the beginning, and have never commented. We love Rhett and Link at our house. I just had to say. We met Link and his family once, and they are great people who prayed before they ate at a fast food restaurant. I highly recommend most of their other videos for a good (family friendly) laugh. My favorites are Butt Drugs, Red House, Taco Bell drive through, Salt Lake Community College, and the doughnut one. They also have a daily “talk” show.
Report Post »Just a plug from a random Blaze reader that wants to encourage good stuff. And to the commenter that said they were making fun of the anti-drug crowd, well, maybe, but they are actually anti-drug. They just know how to poke fun of themselves.
LeadNotFollow
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 5:03pm…
Report Post »When is Al Sharpton going to call the commercial racist?
The drug dealer is portrayed by a Black guy.
LeadNotFollow
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 5:00pm…
Report Post »Roller Skating is great exercise. Skate Dancing is fun.
Try Speed Skating. It gives you a rush, that’s better than drugs.
JohnLarson
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 2:41pmThe guy did this commercial as a joke. He’s making fun of the anti-drug crowd. It’s from an IFC comedy show, they did it for free for the roller skating place because it’s a joke.
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 2:33pmExcellent
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 1:49pmi was going to another story & something dawned on me….Glenn Beck had enlightened us on the influence of Edward Bernays. The skating-rinks were always programed, & people just started skating COUNTER-CLOCK-WISE. Nas-car, counter-clock-wise…I’ll get over it, LOL, but being an original left-handed person, guess EVERYONE SHOULD THINK “right-headed”. Sorry, could not resist! OK, Great Britain drives on the left-hand side of the roads….ok, ok I’ll stop & go to another story.
Report Post »troymac20
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 1:09pmThink I’d rather have the crack than go roller skating
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 1:08pmwonderful commercial.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 1:03pmHate to put a “wet-blanket“ on this but just ”going with the flow”…this regime sees “children-having-fun“ and a ”re-birth” of just having fun and here comes the regulations to keep the children SAFE. Don‘t beat me up for bringing this up but simple fun that we ole’timers had, from driving a tractor on a family farm, to roller-skating to fun up-beat music. this regime will REGULATE & CONTROL this form of entertainment.
Report Post »I shop at $ stores as many of us do and there was ONE COMPLAINT about the “shopping-music” and the music was discontinued for these $ owned stores. The music played was music from the 50′s-to a few modern songs, not rap, and being a lover of all music (except foul language rap) stayed longer & shopped more while listening to the music. Just saying! USE TO BE various music (not necessarily elevator-music) was played & people DO stay longer & shop more & humm & maybe put them in a better mood, Just saying! And then some people say…..“ I ” don’t like it..change it !
And the beat goes on. (p.s. roller-skating is FUN)
beckwill
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 12:49pmMine was Skateland EVERY Sunday afternoon after church. An old crotchety guy named Joe ran the place and played the song Wildfire waaaaaaay too much. Great times.
She ran calling “Wiiiild fiiiiiiire!”
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 1:29pmYours too? Ha-ha-ha. My skating was not that(but a pretty good dancer,though) great but ALWAYS there were couples or a real-cute guy that had the MOVES!!! We had the flashing-lights & music blasting & various skaters, from one trying to skate back-wards, to the gals/guys that were just so smooooooth. I loved roller-skating because I could not for the life of me, ice-skate!!! The beat of the music made you try “silly-moves” …Oh soooooo much fun! Thank you Blaze!
Report Post »P.S. The “cool-hood-a-lums” didn’t think roller skating was “cool”, at the time, and so I never saw any fights or other nonsense…and there were alot of adults of the children around & everything went o.k..Everyday I thank the Lord that I was raised in the 50′s & 60′s!!! (I still enjoy life today, also)
Teabunny
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 12:18pm…as a girl who LOOOOOVVVVVEEESSSS to skate, even now…awesome! Might be a good idea. Take the girls this weekend! Thanks Blaze!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 12:16pmExcellent video.
Report Post »Anurag_Commented
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 12:14pmgreat article and pics
Report Post »http://www.supermirchi.com
THXll38
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:56amDamn cool commercial. Local commercials are usually the funniest.
Report Post »4xeverything
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:49amBest commercial ever!
Report Post »PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:37amGrowing up, my local rink was Rhythmland. Fun times! Those were the glory days.
Report Post »4xeverything
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 12:22pmOurs was Skateland. AKA – Mulletland. Ahhhh, the memories.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:34amcute lol
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 7:45pmDitto!
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:20amThere’s an idea! Put congress and the current administration on roller skates instead of in limos….
I LIKE IT!
Cute ad, guys. THANKS!
Report Post »lonestarbill
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:39amGood idea, but send them on a long skate on a short pier. They been skating for years, so the learning curve should be pretty short.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 1:36pmBefore roller skating rinks, we would skate on smooth surfaces in the neighborhood. The ole’timers know about the skates you placed your regular shoes on the skate & had a “key” to tighten the edges in front of the shoe & away you went……Our vote is the “key” to get this economy moving.
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