Dish Network Knows Spoofing Van Damme Is Funny In Any Language

Volvo's "Epic Split" TV commercial that shows Jean Claude Van Damme splitting his legs between two fast moving cars while on a highway has garnered over 75 million views on YouTube, and was recently cited by director Robert Rodriguez as one of his favorite TV spots. 

Now, Dish Network is spoofing this commercial for DishLatino consumers via its "Me Conviene" multicultural campaign. However, in the "El Viaje Epico" spot, Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez is shown splitting his legs between two slow moving push carts while promoting the satellite TV provider's services.

Agency Marca handled creative and Havas Worldwide was responsible for digital, including the "El Viaje Epico" video. The spots have digital placements with Univision, Yahoo, MSN, Undertone, Facebook and YouTube. 

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While there are numerous viral videos ripe for imitation, the Van Damme spot was ideal for Latino consumers, says Paul Marobella, president of Havas WW Chicago Group and Havas Latino. 

"This content won the Internet this year and has clearly crossed over into pop culture," he says. "And, according to recent Pew Research, Latino usage of social media surpasses that of other ethnic demographics and therefore increasing the propensity of this parody to be relevant. Couple that with the Q score of Derbez being one of the highest amongst Latinos in the U.S. and the message of the spot for Latinos to stay closer to their culture than ever with DishLatino, we think we have a winner."

Havas has worked with DishLatino for about a year and Marca has worked with the satellite provider since 2011. Dish Network spends over $400 million in marketing each year, according to company financial filings.

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