Arrows are flying everywhere you look on television, as well as in movies and advertisements.
We love these many nods to archery, but we’re not surprised by all this attention from the entertainment industry. After all, archery is a powerful, glamorous sport that requires strength, precision and sharp focus. It’s also cool to watch. Women, especially, are wielding bows onscreen with all the skill and swagger of Greek warriors and goddesses.
The prime example, of course, Wonder Woman, who embodies all the girl-power any woman could want, and she looks great doing it. Remember how she back-flipped over a flying spear while keeping her bow poised and ready? Her aunt also demonstrated their family’s warrior skills by executing an iconic slow-motion jump shot early in the movie. To no one’s surprise, Wonder Woman was one of 2017’s most popular Halloween costumes.
https://youtu.be/C0NPhtujgPs
Another Hollywood character who takes care of herself in tough situations is Cheryl Blossom of “Riverdale” on the CW Television Network. She’s tough and quick-witted, and shoots archery to protect and empower herself. In the episode that reveals Cheryl’s skills, she’s shown practicing on targets.
Actress Madelaine Petsch, who plays Cheryl, went through three sessions of archery lessons to help shoot a bull’s-eye for the camera. Later in that episode, she changed into a cape reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood and then whipped out her bow to confront a bad guy. She shoots like Green Arrow and, according to Twitter, fans love it. By wielding her bow and wearing a fashionista outfit, Cheryl Blossom combines beauty and power, which is cool with archers and regular audience members alike.
Meanwhile, “Riverdale” star Tiera Skovbye landed a recurring role on “Once Upon a Time” as Robin Hood’s grown-up daughter, who’s also named Robin. We’ve long seen Robin Hood display his archery prowess in fairytale fashion, and now his daughter uses those same skills for power and self-defense. When confronting unfamiliar characters, Robin greets them with a drawn bow, just like her father. In one episode she exclaims, “Though I may just be a middling witch, I seem to have a knack for this archery thing.”
Oliver Queen also has a great command of archery and is still chasing down bad guys with his trusty bow this season on “Arrow.” Yes, he told his son he was hanging up his bowstrings, but lucky for us it didn’t last. This show has become such a staple in archery television that Oliver might have caused an uproar — or at least disgruntled protests from archery fans — if he had persisted with that misguided idea.
Archery is also featured in the recent “Tomb Raider” reboot, starring Alicia Vikander, which adds Lara Croft to Hollywood’s exemplary list of bow-wielding warriors. The movie’s poster features Vikander wearing a back-quiver and an arrow cutting through the title’s middle. Is that a good sign or what? If you haven’t seen the movie, you can catch a glimpse of Lara’s badassery in the trailer as she makes running shots while sprinting through the jungle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrJfHxQ-zac
Archery’s cool image isn’t restricted to Hollywood, of course. It’s also featured in advertisements because its universal appeal helps promote an array of products while delivering brand-specific vibes. POM Wonderful, for example, uses archery to advertise its pomegranate juice, even though juice isn’t widely associated with archery. The archery-themed ad plays on the idea that pomegranate juice can make you strong and healthy like a samurai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS7jXQAnG5k
Speaking of tough, Bridgestone Tire hired Olympic archer Khatuna Lorig to show how well its DriveGuard tires resist punctures. Lorig shoots arrows into a regular tire and a DriveGuard tire to demonstrate the DriveGuard’s ability to stay inflated despite being pierced.
All those examples speak to archery’s widespread reach and credibility. Whether it’s on the small screen or big screen, we love it when archery receives so much attention. It’s a wink to archery lovers everywhere, confirming that archery is indeed as cool as we think.
Where do you most enjoy seeing archery; in ads, movies or on television? Have you seen archery featured in spots we overlooked? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to share some more archery gems.
