Blake Griffin stars in a new Jordan Brand campaign celebrating the magic of the playground court in a nostalgic summer hoops initiative that also features rapper Fabolous (and his son).
The early August initiative is a 360 suite of marketing content that aims to represent ‘a summertime ode to the magic of the community basketball court and its surrounding culture’.
It is led by a spearhead two-minute TV spot laced with nostalgia, the idea is that it is the playground court that is the social and sporting coming-of-age place for so many kids.
Developed with creative agency Los York and helmed by Dexton Deboree, Griffin narrates and stars in the campaign – delivering an emotional monologue reflecting on the playground’s role in defining youth and self-identity.
Griffin’s narration outlines that the playground were ‘the beginning” for him’ and that ‘for the people who play there, it is also the classroom and the runway, the comedy club, the church…concert hall…and the place where dreams are born.’
Structurally, it operates with a dual time frame in terms of the way it is shot and in terms of style.
The creative intercuts contemporary work laced with the urgency of today’s youth, which retro scenes of youngsters socializing as it evokes an earlier era as much as the present day: thus reinforcing the Jordan brand’s own blend of nostalgia, heritage and the present.
Indeed, it reflects the brand’s soulful legacy: after all, Michael Jordan himself came into the NBA in 1984 and retired permanently more than 14 years ago.
“Welcome to the Playground” was born from one idea: a single, central creative vision and unified narrative and all the content – from digital and social, to the lookbooks and retail collateral – was mapped via a singular platform and asset capture.
It is supported by a range of in-store, digital and social storytelling which already includes Twitter,
Where your game became yours. Welcome to the playground. pic.twitter.com/UauVLynlH4
— Jordan (@Jumpman23) August 2, 2017
Facebook,
and Instagram.
Comment:
The Activative team’s verdict is that this is one of the summer’s most evocative sports spots.
We admire the way the stylised scenes of diverse youth groups playing, socialising, and having fun build with Griffin’s monologue crescendos to clarify that ‘these moments add up to the moments that define youth and self-identity’.
Links:
Jordan Brand / Jumpman23
https://www.youtube.com/user/jumpman23
https://www.facebook.com/jumpman23
https://www.instagram.com/jumpman23/
https://www.nike.com/au/en_gb/c/jordan
