Beats' Longform Ad LeBron James 'Re-Established 2014'

Beats by Dr Dre is one of several brands leveraging its LeBron James ambassador deal through a ‘local roots’ and ‘hometown pride’ campaign – ‘Re-Established 2014’ – celebrating his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Coinciding with the start of new NBA season, the campaign revolves around a master film (cut into individual vignettes) exploring the player’s deep ties to and intense pride in his home town.

Emotional in tone, it blends both hometown pride and a sense of nostalgia, the film tells the story of LeBron’s upbringing through buildings and places that had a major role in his life.

This ‘coming home’ creative is intercut with old school exercise and training footage (much of it featuring James wearing Powerbeats2 Wireless headphones) set to a powerful soundtrack.

It also features people close to the player – such as commentary from his mother Gloria James (set to the song ‘Take Me to Church’ by Hozier).

This long-form ad campaign aims to help the viewers ‘uncover the stories that made LeBron James here’.

It kicked off with a teaser Akron spot which sees James introduce the campaign himself:

‘It’s the birthplace, the roof that raised me, man. I mean everything to this city and the city means everything to me.’

The main long-form film, developed in tandem with agencies R/GA and 72 & Sunny, ties the vignettes together.

The other cut-down vignettes include, Mom

Spring Hill,

Hawkins Court,

St Vincent St Mary’s,

and 439 Hickory Street.

All the spots end with the tagline ‘Re-Established 2014’ (a play on the ‘’Akron’ and ‘Est. 1984’ tattoos that James sports on his shoulders that refer to the place and year of his birth).

Comment

This campaign tells a story of the prodigal son’s journey – a journey of beginnings and homecomings.

It aims to complete the re-bonding exercise between the hero and his hometown that was shattered in 2009 when James left is hometown club for a high profile, success-seeking stint in Miami.

Now, after four years and two championships with the Miami Heat, James has returned home to Ohio to turn Cleveland into a championship team.

It also further tightens the relationship between the player and the company – James reportedly had a financial stake in Beats that earned him around $30m when Apple acquired the company.

Furthermore, it also brings Beats back front and centre in the sports marketing arena following last month’s attempt by the NFL to band players from wearing Beats headphones in and around stadiums (as the property owner seeks to protect its new deal with Bose).

A move which was met with much scepticism and cynicism, not least because several NFL stars act as Beats ambassadors and are wealthy enough not to concern themselves with any fines the league might levy on them for wearing the wrong headphones.

Links

Campaign Webpage

http://beats.is/LeBronPlaylist

Powerbeats2 Wireless Earphones

http://www.Powerbeats2Wireless.com

Track featured in “Re-Established 2014”:

iTunes: http://beats.is/iHozier

Beats Music: http://beats.is/bmHozier

Beats by Dre Official Site:

http://www.beatsbydre.com/

Beats by Dre YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Officialb…