Atlanta’s Tag Team was a one-hit wonder back in 1993 with its monstrously catchy hit “Whoomp! (There It Is),” which has become a staple at parties and nightclubs for nearly three decades.
When Geico decided to use it earlier this year for a commercial and got the duo to help out, they created advertising kismet — a magical, memorable moment that has aired tens of thousands of times across multiple platforms the past year. And Adweek named the Martin Agency’s “Scoop There It Is” the 2021 ad of the year. In it, the pair ― DC “The Brain Supreme” Glenn (Cecil Glenn) and Steve “Rolln” Gibson ― joins a family in transforming their song into a fun ice cream-making escapade. The kicker? Glenn yelling, “Sprinkles!”
The exposure has reignited the act’s career. The duo appeared at Chicago’s Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade and the Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia. They also threw out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game.
Glenn, an actor and a long-time DJ around town, including at Magic City, spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about this extraordinary year.
Q: How do you feel about what happened?
Glenn: It’s amazing. They told me this was the biggest Geico commercial ever, bigger than the cavemen or humpday. Whoa! That was kind of shocking.
Q: Why do you think it resonated?
Glenn: It was just the right thing at the right time. People don’t realize that a lot of this comes from preparation. I’m an actor. I prepare in case the director needs different takes. So I added the sprinkles, the nuances that make a commercial memorable. It’s validation. Hustle finds a way. I’ve been hustling in this city since 1989. I’m not a star. I don’t even subscribe to be. I just do my best and good things happen whether it was in the club with “Whoomp!” or right now.
Q: How were you able to leverage the ad’s popularity?
Glenn: The Martin Agency definitely wanted to keep it going. The natural progression was create an actual ice cream flavor. They turned it into a sweepstakes with TikTok dancing. People did parodies. We shipped a lot of pints to people. We were grand marshals for the Talladega NASCAR race. We did “The Dan Patrick Show.” We did the “Tam’ron Hall” show. That was huge for us. Our royalties checks have tripled. Everything compounded and has stayed that way. When you have a hit commercial, it’s the top of the food chain.
Q: You did some touring this year, too, right?
DC: We came out of the box. We were one of the first groups to get to work during the pandemic. We also wanted to figure out a way to work in the commercial into our set. At the Clay County Fair in Jacksonville, [Florida, in the spring of 2021], I told the promoter to get me a bowl of ice cream 25 minutes into the show. We ended our set with “Whoomp! (There It Is)” and said goodnight. We leave the stage. Then I come back holding a bowl of ice cream. The commercial comes on and at the end, we yell “Sprinkles!” We got this big roar. I was like, “Oh my God! This is the perfect encore!” That has been our encore every show since. We’ve done about 25 shows since then.
Q: How does 2022 look like for you?
Glenn: I’m learning about the metaverse and crypto and NFTs. All that mastery will blossom into full fruition. I couldn’t be happier. I am on planes, trains and automobiles. I am grinding back into music production. We have shows coming up. I’m auditioning constantly and will be in three TV shows and a movie. I’ve gotten to where I am because of hard work and mastering my craft. My goal is to build our legacy and be remembered until the end of time.
Q: That song will outlive you.
Glenn: I get so many emails. “Can you do a shoutout to my father who has cancer? Your song gives him comfort.” “Sprinkles was my baby’s first word!” Celebrities tell me how much their kids love us. I am very humble but also cognizant of the responsibility and gifts I have. That’s why I do so much speaking and do so many podcasts. My mission is to talk to anybody willing to listen about my experiences, about the things I wish someone had told me when I was a young man.
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