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Car jumper's Nike commercial debuts

Akron man introduces online ad for new shoe on DeGeneres show

By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Tuesday, Dec 18, 2007

Akron car jumper Chris Bryant's new online Nike commercial premiered Monday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which aired locally on WKYC Channel 3.

In the commercial that Bryant narrates, he is first seen running over a bridge and then jumping over a car.

''My name is Chris Bryant,'' the spot begins. ''I've been jumping things since I was 8 years old.''

Bryant then tells a story about himself.

''Ever since I started jumping over cars, people have asked me, why? Nobody asks LeBron James why he dunks the way he does. Nobody asks Lance Armstrong why he rode up all those mountains.''

Then the 23-year-old Bryant, who works part time at Akron's Waterloo Restaurant, gets to the main point of the Internet ad.

''You know what I'm gonna say the next time someone asks me why I do what I do? 'Why don't you?' ''

The spot ends with Bryant jumping over another car, wearing his orange and blue specially designed Nike shoes.

The Nike slogan, ''Just Do It,'' appears on the screen with the Nike swoosh logo.

The 40-second Bryant commercial is being posted on http://www.nike.com and http://www.nikeid.com, a company spokesman said.

Bryant, whose car-jumping skills were featured in a Beacon Journal story and Ohio.com video in May, spent several days filming the commercial at Nike headquarters in Portland, Ore., in November.

Monday marked his third appearance on the DeGeneres program.

DeGeneres has become Bryant's biggest advocate.

Bryant attended Garfield High School, but graduated from high school in Atlanta before moving back to Akron.

In the first Beacon Journal story, Bryant spoke of wanting to do a Nike commercial.

Monday's DeGeneres program included behind-the-scenes footage of Bryant seeing his own brand of Nike shoes, the Car Jumper.

''Can you believe it?'' DeGeneres said on the show. ''You had a dream and you didn't just sit around going, 'Oh, I wish I could do this.' You actually made a tape, sent it to us, and took a chance.''

DeGeneres appealed to Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker to air the commercial on television, too. ''Come on, Mark, put it on TV as well,'' DeGeneres urged.

Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.

Akron car jumper Chris Bryant's new online Nike commercial premiered Monday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which aired locally on WKYC Channel 3.

Get the full article here.


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