IB tease with two commercials

WINNING TEAMS: The cross-marketing combo of IGA acts and Beats hardware orchestrated by Jimmy Iovine described by I.B. Bad in his newly posted column was one of the more intriguing subplots of the just-concluded NBA Finals. The Beats commercial starring LeBron James aired again last night during the deciding Game 7; in the 30-second spot, LeBron shoots baskets in an empty gym with Beats buds in his ears over a soundtrack of Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” (see next item). The series MVP also figured prominently in another 30-second spot, this one from Samsung, that aired immediately after the Heat finished off the Spurs in this captivating series. Like Iovine, Samsung rolled the dice with James and came out a big winner, obviously preparing the congratulatory commercial (above) beforehand. The Galaxy manufacturer also bought 30 seconds to follow up Sunday night’s splashy Game 5 announcement of Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail (below), making yet another lingering impression in the minds of an estimated 21.6 million viewers, capping off what I.B. describes as a brilliant branding opportunity for all the participants. (6/21a)