Advertising through a feature film format (and I don't mean like the yellow Camaro aka Bumblee Bee in Transformers)....who would have thought of such an idea ! Well Nike Basketball did.
We as marketing and advertising students are taught that points of differentiation is key - Cutting though the noise - among many other concepts and principles. With this in mind, I will bring to your attention the latest advertising strategy utilised by Nike Basketball 'Kobe Bryant is the Black Mamba' starring Kobe Bryant as 'The Black Mamba', Danny Trejo as 'The Crippler', Bruce Willis as 'MÃster Suave', Kanye West as 'The Boss' and directed by Robert Rodriguez. This star studded line-up have come together to create a 6 minute feature film to advertise one of basketball's greatest players, Kobe Bryant's...wait for it... the latest shoe in his line. Which should come as no surprise seeing as Kobe Bryant has an amazing pull over aspiring basketball players and those who just want to be Kobe (on or off the court).
Information stop: For those of you who are not aware of Kobe Bryant and his alter ego 'The Black Mamba', simply put he has a killer focus on the basketball court and the ability to strike with speed and precision, much like his namesake the venomous Black Mamba snake.
Like any advertising strategy, there are the initial questions of: How are we going to reach our consumers? What media vehicles will we use? When should the film be released? Which media vehicles, in which order?
Personally, I believe Nike Basketball did an amazing job in choosing the right media vehicles and strategy behind the release. Like any feature film and true to hype building, they were 30 second trailers on the Nike website, Facebook page, YouTube and various fan blogs. This, believe you me, sent fans crazy. All anticipating the release, just as much as Nike VP of global marketing, Davide Grasso.
True to IMC concept, they released it through a few different media vehicles. There was the Nike Basketball event, where the sponsored players, feature film stars and executives etc attended and saw it first hand, and a simultaneous release in cinemas in the LA region and Nike Basketball's Facebook page. There will also be support through using print, out-of-home and cable television channels and of course YouTube.
For more info see: Nikebiz
Information stop: The release also coincided with the 2011 NBA All Stars Weekend (18-20 February 2011) which was being held in LA at Staples Center, home of Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers. The All Star Weekend is when the top NBA players from the East and West Conference, as voted by the fans, play one another for bragging rights.
I myself came across the film on my Facebook page, when a friend has posted the video and it appeared in my news feed. Being an advertising student and an avid NBA fan and a Lakers and Bryant fan, I took immediate interest in the strategy behind it all and how the social network is bringing the advertising world together.
You be the judge...watch the video!
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