The Story Behind "Be Like Mike"

Is this jingle stuck in your head? Or is it just me?

So, this week, basketball is on my mind...

Specifically, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, and the nostalgia of the Chicago Bulls from my childhood.

In my utopia, these two men are best friends.

But, in Pippen’s new book, Unguarded, he reveals that the two men “aren’t close, and never were.”

This line sparked my curiosity.

And if you know me, you know what that means…

I started researching, and in the process, I discovered that Pippen (who was seen complaining about his contract constantly in The Last Dance), actually earned more money from the NBA than Jordan did.

But MJ is a billionaire – and he didn’t make all that money from playing ball with Bugs Bunny in Space Jam.

He was pushing a lot of products back in the day – including Nikes, McDonald’s and…Gatorade.

Suddenly, I remembered that commercial “Be Like Mike.”

Or more accurately, that song.

Where did that commercial – and the jingle – come from?

I was curious…

In 1991, advertising executive Bernie Pitzel had a problem.

Bernie Pitzel

He was overseeing a commercial for sports drink Gatorade starring their new spokesman, basketball superstar Michael Jordan.

But when Pitzel saw what the advertising team had created, he wasn’t impressed.

He felt their ad for Gatorade was too similar to the Nike commercials Jordan had already made.

Looking for new ideas, inspiration struck Pitzel at home, when his son was watching The Jungle Book. Hearing the song ‘I Wanna Be Like You’ from the Disney film gave Pitzel an idea.

Why not use this song in the ad, but change the lyrics to incorporate Jordan?

But negotiations with Disney proved difficult.

Their financial demands were more than Gatorade wanted to pay, and Disney wouldn’t agree to let the advertisers change the lyrics in their song to ‘Be Like Mike.’

“That was the whole idea,” Pitzel said. “So we said goodbye to Disney.”

Facing a looming deadline, Pitzel went to a restaurant, and jotted down lyrics for a jingle on a paper tablecloth. Four hours later, he faxed the lyrics to three music production houses.

The next day, they settled on a melody.

“I heard that instrumental opening that I'm like, 'Oh, my God. We got it’,” Pitzel said.

The lyrics and images in the “Be Like Mike” commercial emphasized how both children and adults wanted to ‘be like Mike.’

The public responded well to “Be Like Mike”, and Gatorade’s updated versions of the ad have made the jingle familiar to generations.

The Washington Post ranked “Be Like Mike” the #1 Michael Jordan commercial of all time, while ESPN.com called it one of the most famous commercials of all time.

“As it turned out, it was way better that I wrote the song because that’s what people remember. If we’d just done it with The Jungle Book music, it would have been a cute little spot, but it never would have resonated like it did.”

“My whole goal in advertising...was I just wanted to create a little sliver of pop culture somewhere along the line. Everybody knows I’ve been saying that for years.

“And they go, ‘Well, I think you did it’.”

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Recent Work and Writing

The Big Juicy Creative Podcast Interview — I had a great time speaking with Suzy Bashford about the benefits of creativity and communication skills. (Also, I smiled when I saw the takeaways from our conversation that she put on this image!).

Scottie Pippen Needs a Hug — Scottie Pippen is spilling the tea on Michael Jordan and the Bulls in his new book. But will it get him what he wants?

Dear HR, My Sex Life Is Not Your Business — It’s 2021, so why are HR leaders and managers still asking employees these questions?

Have You No Decency? — A woman died on a film set last week. And you don’t have to like Alec Baldwin to respond to this tragedy with human decency.

Why Does The Media Do This to Kate Middleton? — I don’t care what Kate Middleton looks like - so why is that the focus of the news story?

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How Can I Help?

Need help improving your public speaking or storytelling skills?

Want to help your team come up with more creative ideas so they can solve problems and innovate?

Or tired of so many misunderstandings and wasted time due to poor writing and poor communication?

Get in touch to find out about my communication and creative problem-solving programs for leaders and teams.

And if you know someone needs help with team or personal development, please get in touch and check out my website for more information.

Keep Smiling - and Stay Curious!

-Beth