What Exactly Is This New Jordan Ad Saying?
Conversation-Sparking Spot Shows Russell Westbrook Creating His Own 'Runway'
Editor's Pick
Last week on social media and during last night's MTV VMA's broadcast, Nike's Jordan Brand and Wieden & Kennedy New York debuted this simple but powerful new Air Jordan ad starring the Oklahoma Thunder's Russell Westbrook. The ad captures Westbrook making a tremendous lay-up on an unusual court -- an airplane runway. As we hear the sounds of a jet plane in the background and see his legs mid-air against a deep blue sky, a voice-over reads, "Some run. Some make runways."
Since it debuted last week, the spot has gotten b-ball critics talking, some surmising it to be a pointed jab at Westbrook's former teammate, Kevin Durant, who announced a couple months ago that he was leaving the Thunder to join NBA Western Conference champs the Golden State Warriors. But others asked, would a Nike-owned company be critical of Durant, one of its own athletes?
Whatever the case, Mr. Westbrook has a big new job at hand, and Jordan Brand is hoping its new pair of kicks will help elevate his game.
While media has been buzzing about the ad's true meaning, agency W&K New York says it pays homage to the original 1985 spot introducing the first Air Jordans and even incorporates the same jet engine audio from that ad.
The campaign also featured a series of Snapchat videos from DJ Khaled that included the curious Jordan XXXI "hoverbox." For that, Jordan and W&K teamed with levitations specialists Crealev to create four anti-gravity boxes that levitate using magnetic technology. The boxes will also appear at Jordan Brand's Terminal 23 space in New York, as well as in flagship stores in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Toronto.
The campaign also included a tie-up with the MTV VMAs, in which viewers saw the Moonman rising to space a la "Jumpman" and leaving an XXXI "Banned" footprint on the moon.
Previously, Wieden & Kennedy, N.Y. resurrected Chiat/Day's classic "Banned" Jordan ad ahead of the XXXI release.
Credits
- Date
- Aug 26, 2016
- Brand :
- Jordan Brand
- Client :
- Jordan Brand
- Agency :
- Wieden & Kennedy - New York
- Executive Creative Director :
- Karl Leiberman
- Creative Director :
- Caleb Jensen
- Creative Director :
- Jimm Lasser
- Art Director :
- Blair Warren
- Copywriter :
- Pepe Hernandez
- Senior Producer :
- Orlee Tatarka
- Head of Content Production :
- Nick Setounski
- Account Team :
- Jordan Muse
- Account Team :
- Liz Lindberg
- Account Team :
- Jacque Parrish
- Art Producer :
- Ali Berk
- Head of Art :
- Deb Rosen
- Social Director :
- Jessica Abercrombie
- Media Team :
- Karlo Cordova
- Media Team :
- Branden Bouvia
- Media Team :
- Chad Muratev
- Project Manager :
- Kristen Daly
- Business Affairs :
- Sara Jagielski
- Business Affairs :
- Tana Prosper
- Business Affairs :
- Lindsey Timko
- Broadcast Traffic Manager :
- Sonia Bisono
- Traffic Coordinator :
- Andy Hume
- Client :
- Desmond Marzette
- Production Company :
- Good Company
- Director :
- Dikayl Rimmasch
- Executive Producer :
- Jonathan Lia
- Director, Photography :
- Santiago Gonzalez
- Line Producer :
- Jay Wada
- Editorial Company :
- Lost Planet
- Editor :
- Hank Corwin
- Assistant Editor :
- Kenji Yamauchi
- Post Executive Producer :
- Krystn Wagenberg
- Visual Effects Company :
- Good Company
- Visual Effects Executive Producer :
- Ralph Maccio
- Visual Effects/Lead Flame Artist :
- John Mattiuzzi
- Visual Effects/Lead Flame Artist :
- Shuyi Wu
- Visual Effects/Lead Flame Artist :
- Christian Haberkern
- Mix :
- Bisby Studios
- Mix :
- Harbor Sound
- Sound/Mix :
- Chris Jenkins
- Mix :
- Adam Barber
- Mix :
- Josh Berger
- Mix :
- Grant Elder
- Sound Designer :
- Robby Stambler
- Sound Designer :
- Cameron Frankley
- Producer :
- Darrell Smith
- Telecine Company :
- Company 3
- Colorist :
- Tom Poole
- Color Producer :
- Clare Movshon
- Executive Producer :
- Ryan Heiferman
- Post Producer :
- Ralph Miccio
- Producer :
- Brian Welsh
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