Every summer needs a road-trip movie, and Adidas gives us its own, a two-minute spot from 180 and TBWA featuring 13 of soccer's best on the "Road to Lisbon" for the Euro 2004 championship. Pros like David Beckham and Rául lead a picturesque scooter procession, complete with breaks for game play, that culminates with an all-star match against an entire Portuguese town. The spot could be shorter, but set to Quincy Jones' "It's Caper Time," it builds nicely to the excitement of the tournament. While Adidas taps today's sports gods, Wieden + Kennedy turns to Greek mythology to sell Nike's Shox running shoes. In a subtitled tale, a modern-day Atalanta-a member of the Italian national track team-taunts the men of her village that she'll marry the one who can catch her. Sports also takes on mythical proportions in a Visa spot from BBDO that turns the Atlantic into a lap pool for Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. The competitive spirit isn't limited to sports this month. In Budweiser's latest swipe at Miller, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners reprises its Super Bowl donkey character, who says Miller can't run for president of beers because it's owned by South African Breweries. The race, he says, has come to an "abrupt end"-but it's a good bet those ad games will go on. -Eleftheria Parpis
- mae anderson
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