To leverage the start of the NBA season and superstar endorser LeBron James joining big market franchise LA Lakers Nike rolled out a new commercial featuring King James.
Taking a ‘small town kid with big city dreams’ type approach, the spot focuses on James’ rise up through the NBA: from being a young star at St Vincent-St. Mary’s High School, to being drafted, then winning multiple MVPs and championships and his off court social activism.
The creative, cut from original footage, features interesting Lebron lines about winning (“I’m not going to guarantee a championship, I’ll tell you that”) and pressure (“There’s no pressure. There’s no pressure at all. I’ve been getting pressure since I was 10 years old”).
The video, , which is set to the soft melody of Aretha Franklin’s ‘People Get Ready’, closes with LeBron stating: “I’m doing something that I love to do, and that’s play the game of basketball. Y’all like to watch me play basketball.”
The spot is amplified across all the usual Nike channels
Just a small-town kid with big-city dreams. #justdoit @KingJames pic.twitter.com/okTQBM8hLI
— Nike (@Nike) October 20, 2018
and is backed by plenty of related, supporting content.
Kids from Akron don’t just dream it. They do it. #justdoit pic.twitter.com/Cmj2caP2Mq
— Nike (@Nike) October 18, 2018
This commercial is part of Nike’s ongoing, umbrella anniversary ‘It’s Only Crazy Until You Do It. Just Do It’ campaign and it’s release was timed to coincide with James’ LA Lakers regular-season debut.
It also links to the promotion of LeBron’s latest NBA opening night signature ‘King Court Purple’ sneakers – which this year are actually inspired by a 2003 Nike poster (celebrating one of his first iconic Nike moments).
The burgundy knit upper detail of the new LeBron 16 ‘King’ links to Nike’s own grandiose declaration when its $90m rookie first entered the league.
‘We think he’s the athlete that will define the next generation,’ said Nike back in 2003 and then the brand backed up that belief by putting the then 18-year-old James sitting in the middle of a regal poster sitting on a throne flanked by three lions.
After this poster, the lion became a symbolic element incorporated into so much LeBron marketing. Thus the King James legacy was born.
“The luxurious burgundy tones, the gold detailing, his original [LJ23] logo and the animal fur — a combination of the lions and the animal pelt he had draped over the throne are all there as nods to that poster,” said designer of the LeBron 16 Jason Petrie.
“We’re working on this 18 months to two years in advance, and we didn’t know where he was going,” Petrie said. “We planned it that even though he could very easily stay in Cleveland, we should look at these colours to where it doesn’t matter. He could wear it on any given night and he could get away with it.”
Interestingly, just as Nike was putting the finishing touches to the design process, the NBA removed all footwear color restrictions across the board, so that all players can now incorporate different themes and stories onto their sneakers all season long, regardless of whether they match their team uniforms.
Last year, James wore 51 different versions of the LeBron 15 and this year Nike plans to offer even more to take advantage of the lack of restrictions this season.
The new kicks were initially made available exclusively to those in LA are on Foot Looker’s ‘The Hunt’ app – retailing at $185 USD.
THE HUNT – How It Works.
Coming to #LosAngeles first on 10/20 for the #Nike Lebron 16 King ‘Court Purple’
Only on the Foot Locker App. pic.twitter.com/GeWfcyAXLI— Foot Locker (@footlocker) October 19, 2018
THE HUNT is on! #LosAngeles hit your Foot Locker App now – Will you gain access to the #Nike Lebron 16 King ’Court Purple’? pic.twitter.com/ore0UqgKm5
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) October 20, 2018
#LosAngeles THE HUNT for the #Nike Lebron 16 King ‘Court Purple’ starts tomorrow. Be sure to download the Foot Locker App now! pic.twitter.com/IRjJcwsYSm
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) October 20, 2018
Comment:
James’ offseason move to the LA Lakers may have shocked in Cleveland, but few were truly surprised that basketball’s most marketable player moved to tinseltown.
Nike is just one of multiple brands activating around James’ arrival in LA.
After all, it is traditional for new kings to be feted with commercial coronations. Others launching notable campaigns tied to his Lakers’ debut include Beats (see case study), as well as Foot Locker,
Two of the best in the game go head to head! Bron and the #Lakers or Harden and the #Rockets – Who you got? pic.twitter.com/E3DgIvIjnx
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) October 21, 2018
ESPN, Sprite, Kia, Intel, Upper Deck, Tissot, MGM Resorts International, Lakers’ jersey patch partner Wish and NBA 2K19.
Links:
Nike
https://www.instagram.com/nike/
https://www.youtube.com/user/nike
