press release
Nike 'Air Zoom'
Eyeball and Expansion Team Deliver Lebron James' 'Air Zoom' For Niketown
Showcasing basketball phenom Lebron James' first signature shoe for the Nike brand.
Continuing a longstanding relationship with leading sports manufacturer and retailer Nike, design-based production company Eyeball recently delivered "Air Zoom Generation," a 60-second spot showcasing 18-year old basketball phenom Lebron James' first signature shoe for the brand. The spot, delivered in widescreen and vertical formats, airs over the massive video walls and screens nationwide in Niketown stores. "Air Zoom Generation" represents an integral component in a huge marketing effort focused around James that rolled-out in Nike's retail stores shortly before Christmas. Eyeball handled all aspects of production including design, animation and editing with Expansion Team handling original music.
The spot consists largely of a photo-real, larger-than-life 3D model of the "Air Zoom" shoe and manipulated photos of Lebron James set in an oversized, stark white room. Commenting on the overall design and direction of the spot, creative director, Limore Shur noted that, "The media and various promotional campaigns have made Lebron out to be this incredible, larger-than-life entity. So, we wanted to add to the hype by presenting him and his shoe in a simple, gallery-like environment, keeping the spotlight on the star and the product at all times."
Expansion Team creative director DJ Lux and 2-time world champion turntablist DJ Vinroc composed the spot's soundtrack. Lux and Vinroc collaborated from opposite coasts via the Internet to deliver a hip-hop jam complete with sampled horns, strings, and Vinroc's signature scratching.
By timing the visuals with the flow of the beats and scratches, sound and picture were basically "remixed" into one cohesive piece. "I approached my edits for this piece like I would one of my DJ mixes," says Lux, who also shared editing duties for the spot and notes that editing was done in close collaboration with the music". "I'm very interested in pushing the limits of how closely picture and sound can be tied together."
"Air Zoom Generation" marks the latest collaboration between Eyeball and Nike. Over the years the two companies have collaborated on numerous high profile promotional, branding and cross-platform campaigns. A few weeks prior to starting production on "Air Zoom", Eyeball delivered "Made to Move," for Niketown stores. The spot, it has just been announced, is a Gold WorldMedal winner at the 2004 New York Festivals. Both projects are on the company's 2004 DVD titled "flow", released last week.
