This Nike spot is a bon voyage to Kobe Bryant who plays his last NBA game tonight. Over a 20-year career, Bryant has been a champion and an antagonist, an idol and an antihero. He thrived in the midst of negativity, inviting fans and opponents to bring their worst and giving them exactly what they wanted in return—the Black Mamba.
This film directed by Mark Romanek of Anonymous Content for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore., shows Kobe conducting players and fans through a rendition of Otis Redding’s song, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now),” but with slightly different lyrics. Fans and opponents croon the words “I’ve been hating you too long to stop now” directly to Kobe. It’s a send-off that could only work for Kobe Bryant.
Music/sound house was Beacon Street Studios which also handled the audio post.
Titled “The Conductor,” the spot will air tonight (4/13) on ESPN during Bryant’s final game as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Utah Jazz.
Credits
Client Nike Agency Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Alberto Ponte, Ryan O’ Rourke, creative directors; Josh Bogdan, Nathaniel Friedman, copywriters; Jacob Weinstein, art director; Matt Hunnicutt, Molly Tait Tanen, Mauricio Granado, producers. Production Anonymous Content Mark Romanek, director; Eric Stern, managing director; SueEllen Clair, exec producer; James Graves, line producer; Greig Fraser, DP. Editorial Exile Eric Zumbrunnen, editor; Brittany Carson, post producer; CL Weaver, post exec producer. VFX MPC LA Michael Gregory, VFX supervisor; Brian Williams, lead compositor; Lexi Stearn, exec producer; Brian Friel, VFX producer; Mark Gethin, colorist. Music Beacon Street Studios, Venice, Calif. Andrew Feltenstein, John Nau, composers; Rommel Molina, sound designer. Leslie DiLullo, producer. Song: “I’ve Been Hating You Too Long To Stop Now” Audio Post Beacon Street Studios Rommel Molina, mixer.
Ford shared details of its campaign across Europe to cement the relaunch of its legendary Capri nameplate as an electric vehicle, following a provocative and successful unveiling earlier this year.
Developed by Wieden+Kennedy London, the “Mischief Rewired” campaign initially premiered on U.K. TV screens from Boxing Day (12/26), disrupting modern ad breaks with vintage ads from the Ford Capri archives--rewired with a bolt of modern mischief. Now, the full three films are fully rolling out across Europe, including this one titled “Prowl” in which panthers stalk the car as it drives through the desert.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, the Ford Capri was the car of choice for stuntmen, musical icons and movie stars. Now, these films--directed by Fredrik Bond of MJZ, with Academy Award-nominated Rodrigo Prieto as DP--tell audiences that the legend is back in an all-new, electrified and mischievous form for the modern era.
Pete Zillig, director of marketing, Ford in Europe, commented, “When you say ‘The Legend is back’ you need to be all in. What better way to do that than use some of those classic old Capri ads as a springboard into Capri’s electric future. Very proud of this brave work that stands out boldly in a sea of EV sameness.”
David Colman, creative director at Wieden+Kennedy London, said, “To relaunch the Capri as a new electric vehicle, we wanted to tap into its iconic past. From its role as the go-to car for stuntmen to its appearances alongside music legends and movie stars, the Capri was a symbol of excitement, individuality, and style. The idea took shape when our creative team, Georgina Brisby and Marcelo Duarte, discovered the archive of legendary vintage Capri ads and suggested ‘rewiring’ them. With... Read More
