A cinematic October spot in the USA from adidas introduces Trae Young’s first signature shoe: the Trae Young 1.
Created in harness with agency Cartwright, the hero ad celebrates Young’s early career achievements, his unconventional moves and his determined attitude.
The powerful spot opens with a flawless mid-court shot by Young, while a voiceover outlines his achievements and journey to the top from a 13-year-old ‘hooper’ to his break-out performance for the Hawks in the 2021 post-season playoffs. From becoming the first player in history with a ‘45-point / 11-assist’ game in the Conference Finals, to being the first athlete to wear shorts to the NBA Draft, the spot takes the viewer on a journey showcasing what Young has accomplished in his short career, how he is inspiring the next generation and it argues that he is deserving of being called ‘The One.’
Running under the German sportswear giant’s ongoing Impossible Is Nothing platform, the campaign rolled out on 21 October to leverage the NBA season opener between Young’s Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks.
The campaign promotes the player’s first signature kicks and spans television broadcast, online video, social and out of home platforms.
Cartwright shot the video and supporting still imagery at the same time in two different gyms. The ad was directed by Anthony Mandler and the production used three different cameras to capture a wide range of moves and moods.
“At every competitive level, Trae Young was the 1 who stood apart. Trae succeeded because he always found a way to make himself the 1 in whatever-the-odds,” explained Cartwright Creative Directors Nate Ripp and Ben Bliss. “The City of Atlanta provides a backdrop for the still imagery establishing Trae’s ties to the cultural fabric of the City as seen through iconic locations including State Farm Arena, The Varsity Diner, and the outdoor Central Park Courts where he inspires the next generation.”
“Trae is undeniably one of a kind – and his signature shoe is no exception,” added adidas Basketball General Manager Eric Wise.” He embodies the mentality of limitless potential – unafraid to let anything get in the way of his ambition, he pushes boundaries, proves critics wrong and creates new space for himself and the game.”
“adidas and I worked very closely on my first signature shoe and I’m hyped to finally let fans get a hold of them. When you wear these, you’re repping that ice cold mentality and the entire City of Atlanta,” said Young. “This moment is really special as it’s a reminder to the next generation of hoopers that through hard work and focus you can achieve your dreams. Trae Young 1 is a symbol of that for me.”
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The Trae Young 1 was developed in close collaboration with the player himself and has been designed to support his multi-directional playing style and the unique ways in which he moves on the court.
It is available in five colourways: ICEE (a neon-like blue inspired by Trae’s favourite ICEE drink growing up), ICEE Cotton Candy (inspired by Trae’s love of cotton candy features a colour fade from blue to pink on the upper shoe and the insoles have the opposite colour fade), SO SO DEF (inspired by the Atlanta record label), SO SO DEF ATL (a colourway of yellow and red inspired by the So So Def logo billboard in Atlanta, with the So So Def logo printed on the heel and sockliner), Peachtree (inspired by Atlanta’s Peachtree and West Peachtree streets, this colourway has the all-over peach coloured upper with hints of green to represent the stem and Georgia Peach is printed on the sockliner).
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