To accompany its flagship new season TV commercial ‘Want It All’ (see case study), Nike Basketball launched a social-only spot called ‘Welcome to 15’, voiced by actor Idris Elba and starring LeBron James getting back to work.
The narrative follows James as he begins his 15th NBA season and sets out on a mission to avenge last season’s Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Launched across Nike Basketball and LeBron’s own social channels as his Cleveland Cavaliers opened up the new NBA 2017/18 season against the Boston Celtics – leveraging Nike’s top hops endorser’s return to the court.
The 60-second social spot celebrates the four-time league MVP and three-time champion’s return to action.
Developed not by usual Nike agency W+K, but by niche Portland (Oregon) hot shop Must Be Something, the video blends a powerful voiceover from actor Elba with existing NBA game footage and James’ own Instagram.
The spot is running on social media and debuted on Nike Basketball and Lebron’s Twitter feeds.
Welcome to season 15. @KingJames#LeBron15 #NikeBasketball pic.twitter.com/UtT0LlSzc0
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) October 16, 2017
#SavageMode #StriveForGreatness https://t.co/U6avkwMzBC
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 16, 2017
There are further social, in-person activation strands to the campaigns – such as Facebook live ‘Uninterrupted’.
ICYMI, the @RoadTrippinPod crew went LIVE on our Facebook from The 15 with @KingJames & @kevinlove. https://t.co/hM0dszhzSh pic.twitter.com/TEDu7cSuGg
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) October 16, 2017
We're now LIVE at The 15 in Cleveland with @RoadTrippinPod & @KingJames! Head over to https://t.co/hM0dszhzSh to watch the episode. pic.twitter.com/E0bQiZ0dJ7
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) October 16, 2017
and LeBron’s opening game shoe statement.
LeBron’s #NBAKicks! pic.twitter.com/hSkH4rVZgy
— NBA (@NBA) October 17, 2017
“LeBron has always been the lion, King James,” said Andrew Schafer, CFO, president, account director, producer and strategist for Must Be Something (who’s agency has only five employees).
“The work was meant to signal the beginning of [his] 15th season and kind of put the league on notice that he’s back, stronger, better, faster, more terrifying than ever on the basketball court.”
“He didn’t go golfing, he didn’t go to Italy and hang out on a boat. He was in the gym,” added Schafer.
“The Instagram video on there, that’s him literally back in the gym the next day [after the Cavs’ loss] getting ready for tonight, essentially, when they play the Celtics in the first game of the season. He’s on a mission.”
Comment:
‘Welcome To 15’ is a short, sweet of the power of personal determination to change the game.
This kind of primary social spot, created in styles so familiar to social network video, is increasingly paired in support of Nike’s more traditional, blockbuster TV commercial.
This seems to be an emerging tactic – especially in the sportswear and sports sponsorship space.
In this case, ‘Welcome to 15’ runs in parallel to ‘Want It All’ (see the spearhead commercial case study) and its various sub-strands and team-specific pieces such as the on-stadium projection mapping in Cleveland.
Cleveland Wants It All. #WantItAll #NIKExNBA pic.twitter.com/CvkG1kOd7H
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) October 18, 2017
Links:
Nike (Basketball)
https://www.facebook.com/nikebasketball/
https://twitter.com/nikebasketball
Must Be Something
http://mustbesomethingstudio.com/
