The Brief

Objective: To redefine the athlete tour and develop an idea that harnesses the brand’s power and athletes changing the perception of the game in China. We created the idea of Rise: a real-time docu-drama aimed at showing that kids everywhere had the ability to rise no matter who they were. 30 passionate players were drafted to train with Kobe Bryant. Our task was to create an environment reflecting Kobe’s principles on the court: ruthless, unforgiving, pioneering; and ultimately push and train the chosen 30 drafted kids to the limit and raise their game in a way they never thought possible.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We created the first reactive LED basketball court teaching the players the fundamentals of Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality: House of Mamba. The court utilized motion tracking and reactive LED visualization to train, guide and challenge the players through various authentic drills. Open GL programming enabled us, and Kobe, to adapt and change drills on the fly, essentially transforming the court into a real-time training tool. The court’s capabilities doubled as an entertainment platform that facilitated live HD film, sound reactive VJ shows, real time social events to wow the crowds and create a memorable experience for everyone – including Kobe.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Sales data hasn’t been reported yet. The most important result is how much the kids were inspired, what it enabled Kobe to do with them and how much it helped to immerse them in the journey of Rise. The proof is captured in the content that has been generated, broadcast and picked by media. The episodes have millions of views, completion rates and average watch rates are very high and feedback from consumers via social has been extremely positive. House of Mamba was quickly picked up by Global and North American media; Devour, CBS, USA Today, Slam and Bleacher Report.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

House of Mamba was completely inspired by Kobe and Nike’s ongoing legacy of creating innovation that serves athletes and consumers. Everything from the architecture, art direction of the walls and even tickets, as well as the LED court and custom Kobe drills had those beliefs at their core. The court itself was capable of showing live video, animation and motion tracking performance that powered the challenges and drills, all while delivering an authentic basketball court feel and gameplay. Additionally, the space was designed to house 3 live events enabling all components to work simultaneously and seamlessly together in real time.