Grant Hill’s Still Got It In 90s Throwback ‘FILA x Sprite’ Collaboration Spot & Sneaker Drop

October saw a fresh twist on a classic Sprite hoops commercial in the form of a nostalgic FILA limited edition apparel drop which reminded the world that Grant Hill – one of the NBA greatest players and current co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks – still drinks Sprite, still wears FILA and still ‘has it’

The two-piece sneaker collection drop on 19 October came complete with a ’90s throwback ad which pays homage to a 26-year-old television commercial for Sprite fronted by the former Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers small forward.

The classic 1995 gritty, yet cheeky ‘Grant Hill Drinks Sprite’ commercial poked fun at athlete ambassadors and introduced hoops fans and the general public to Duke University’s number 33 and NBA first round pick at the very start off his professional career in his rookie season with the Pistons.

Helmed by Director Mark Pellington, who was then best known for Pearl Jam and Public Enemy music vidoes, the campaign was known for its straightforward message as a teenage fan watches Grant Hill drinking Sprite and muses to himself that “Grant Hill Drinks Sprite?” before drinking a can himself before attempting a dunk and clumsily colliding with the rim and falling to the floor.

It also includes the brand’s famous and long-running ‘Image Is Nothing. Thirst Is Everything’ tagline.

The newly released homage ad, created with creative studio and production/post production company Scgeme Engine and directed by Charles Todd, pays homage to the iconic 1995 ad with a modern edge and begins with an anthemic look and feel as high-stakes music and slow-motion action shots build a heightened sense of drama in the opening frames.

The callback style spot sees the young man from the original ad (who has clearly been practicing – unlike the one in 1995) nail a series of stylish dunks, before Hill appears wearing FILA and Sprite’s jointly-designed sneakers and sinks a three-pointer with ease before offering a touch of age-inspired advice when he reminds the younger man that a dunk only gets you two points.

The contemporary commercial was shot on the basketball courts that Hill and FILA donated to Chandler Park on the East Side of Detroit.

The spot promotes both brands and the limited-edition FILA Grant Hill x Sprite Set: a two-piece capsule collection made up of sneakers and a pair of basketball shorts both of which feature Sprite’s brand colours and detailing. The Grant Hill 1 x Sprite sneaker is a Grant Hill 1 recreation with a white, blue and Sprite green colour scheme retailing at $140. The white Sprite Short is $68 and features a striped trim of blue, green and white with Grant Hill and Sprite logos.

“Visually, we took inspiration from our favourite Spaghetti Westerns, treating the glorious dunk as a high-noon standoff between our hero and the rim,” commented Director Charles Todd. “Then Grant appears out of nowhere like the all-knowing sage that he is.  I loved the original campaign and wanted to imbue a sense of playful mysticism in our remake.”

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For those who want a further dose of Grant Hill/Sprite 1990s advertising nostalgia, here’s a dose of other spots in the same series.