NBA 2K19 unveils its new edition cover art with the continuation of its ‘They Will Know Your Name’ campaign spearheaded by a video featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The creative includes a set of Antetokounmpo references: from his Greek Freak nickname, to the six steps it takes him to get across the court, through his Milwaukee Buck team’s ‘Fear the Deer’ tagline.
The hero video also features a voiceover by his mother.
The campaign, created by agency BSSP, sees the video promoted predominately on 2K’s social channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
First look at #NBA2K19 featuring @Giannis_an34 pic.twitter.com/G1xChvAUTV
— NBA 2K19 (@NBA2K) July 2, 2018
This year’s NBA 2K cover athlete is the first international baller in the games’ history.
The campaign approach revolves around the idea that NBA stars such as Antetokounmpo have become cultural icons and the narrative explores his journey from humble beginnings through his rise to stardom.
A journey which all NBA 2K players can emulate themselves within the game.
The ‘They Will Know Your Name’ campaign was first launched earlier in the summer on 5 June with the launch of the NBA 2K19 20th Anniversary Edition – featuring cover athlete LeBron James and the introduction of the new NBA 2K19 tagline.
That was supported on 20 June with the release of a mini-documentary featuring 2018 NBA Draft star and number five pick Trae Young.
Young had ‘They Will Know Your Name’ sewn into his suit jacket, which he flashed to the cameras on national TV during the live Draft telecast.
All content drives viewers to pre-order the Standard Edition version – which is available from 11 September.
The BSSP team included Sinan Dagli (Creative Director), Zach Shapiro (Senior Art Director), Patrick French and Zack Browne (copywriters), Vince Genovese (executive director of integrated production), Jeremy Arth (senior producer), Alex Eley (account director), Mal Gretz (account supervisor) and Nico Litonjua (editor).
The production company was MK12, while Eniginner Matt Zipkin ran the music mix through One Union Recording.
“I am honored to be the first international player featured on the cover of NBA 2K19,” said Antetokounmpo. “I love playing NBA 2K so this means a lot to me. I have worked hard to earn recognition in the NBA and being on the cover of NBA 2K19 is a dream come true.”
“Giannis is the future of the NBA and his drive and athleticism have made him an undeniable force in the league,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Marketing for NBA 2K. “He’s the perfect cover athlete and we’re excited to feature him as our very first international cover star, as NBA 2K has a strong following with fans all over the world.”
Comment:
Perhaps more than any other sport basketball stars are becoming cultural icons: speaking out on issues of equality, race, gender and society that stretch far beyond the NBA.
Perhaps the smaller number of players on each time and the enhanced role of the super star gives them greater power and a bigger platform than most other team sports?
Either way, recognizing and building upon this insight is a smart way for NBA 2K to market the new edition of the game.
The league is also becoming increasingly international – both in terms of players, stars, fans and reach – so it was about time an overseas star appeared on the cover.
Links:
NBA2K
https://www.facebook.com/NBA2K
https://www.youtube.com/user/2KSports
https://www.instagram.com/nba2k/
BSSP
