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Nike asked us to help launch Kevin Durant's new sneaker, the KD15.

The concept needed to be scalable and flexible, with the ability to start, stop, and change creative since the campaign coincided with KD’s playoff run.

Challenge

Nike wanted the KD15 to be different. Instead of focusing on stories about breaking records and winning championships, the global athletic brand wanted us to tell the story of KD’s journey in mastering the game.

The problem that we focused on was the global lack of access to play. COVID and a constantly growing population, that affects usage of local courts & resources, has led to kids having less time and support to play the game that they love.

This problem compounds when you realize the importance of basketball and community as the space that influences passion, dedication, and joy on and off the court. Basketball is a pathway to infinite spaces where you can discover your greatness to be better.

Strategy

Instead of focusing on KD’s on-court performance, our strategy was anchored to the opposite — it matters what you don’t see. Even when KD isn’t on the court, he’s working hard, and not just on basketball. In his 2014 MVP speech, KD said, “Basketball is just a platform for me to inspire people.”

We took these insights and did a deep dive into researching who Kevin Durant really is — not just the player — but the man he is off the court. We discovered KD is an incredibly dynamic person whose achievements stretch far beyond basketball. He’s a highly successful business owner, investor, philanthropist, musician, and ally.

Creative Solution

Launched in lockstep with the Brooklyn Nets’ playoff run, our 6-month communication plan included a content shoot with the NBA, custom seeding kits with a QR code-driven web experience, paid social posts, and product spotlights on Nike.com and the Nike App.

In staying true with our core concept, we used each colorway release as a creative wrapper that pointed to KD’s individual ventures, from his investments with Thirty Five Ventures to his support of the WNBA with Just Women’s Sports.