"I've never regretted taking the train set"

October 31, 2009 10:26 AM

Apart from the Dennis Bergkamp cheese-packer one, what were the other Reebok "other career" adverts that ran on UK television in the late 90s, and where can I find them?

These adverts potrayed famous footballers in alternative lives where they have mundane and/or stereotypical careers, recounting how they turned down a childhood birthday present of Reebok football boots for a different toy, the implication being this decision stopped them from going on to be successful players. For example, Bergkamp tells how he opted for a train set and that he's never regretted it, pictured awhile working in a Dutch cheese factory.

I've got a memory of there being a Peter Schmeichel one where the Danish keeper is portrayed as a pig farmer (Danish bacon being famous in the UK).

Were there any others? My Google/YouTube efforts have failed.

Was it a different campaign from which I remember a sequence with Ryan Giggs as a road-side flower seller, or something like that?

posted by galaksit to grab bag (5 comments total)

According to this, there were only three: Bergkamp, Schmeichel and Giggs (who was indeed a flower seller).
posted by Electric Dragon at 10:46 AM on October 31

Quite the best answer! Thank you.
posted by galaksit at 10:54 AM on October 31

I also remember one with Andy Cole working in a chip shop.
posted by essexjan at 12:37 PM on October 31

More here on the Andy Cole one. Can't find a video of it though.
posted by essexjan at 12:39 PM on October 31

Nice find! I don't remember seeing that one.
posted by galaksit at 3:53 PM on October 31