When basketball phenom LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat, his personal image took a major hit as many saw the move as self-serving. Nike, for which James is a spokesman, is looking to repair that image a bit.
Nike and its longtime agency Wieden & Kennedy have rolled out a new campaign, “Rise,” that lets LeBron address “his off-season controversy head-on,” explained Nike in announcing the effort.
This 90-second spot broke Monday on YouTube and will appear on TNT Tuesday as the NBA season kicks off with a game between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.
What the Stacy Wall-directed spot really does is let LeBron get a few jabs in at Charles Barkley, who during the off-season turned out to be one of LeBron’s more vocal critics. (I wonder how Barkley’s new round of T-Mobile commercials, which co-star Dwayne Wade, are going to work out?)
So maybe Nike hopes some of its brand equity will rub off on LeBron. But the last time Nike tried a stunt like this, with Tiger Woods, the effort didn’t go over too well.
To read the full article at Advertising Age, click here.
