Spark NZ + the NBA launch initiative to bring basketball to NZ streets via Dynamo + Touchcast

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Boroughs- Julius Dr J Erving.jpgCASE STUDY: An initiative to bring basketball to the streets of New Zealand has been revealed, via popular Kiwi hoops star, Steven Adams.

The project is one in which Adams has teamed up with New Zealand telecommunication giant, Spark, and the NBA, to create five street basketball courts in Auckland, each representative of a “sister’ court in the USA. Alongside this, the courts will act as free Wi-Fi spots, with world first technology being introduced in 2015 as the courts become reality.

The courts will be scattered aroundAuckland, with one in each of the north, south, east, west and central parts of the city.

In the north, Los Angeles’ Venice Beach will act as the sister court. The North Shore has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand basketball.  Out west it is Adams’ current local, Downtown Oklahoma City, which provides inspiration. The link to Oklahoma City was natural, given Adams’ current popularity in the country.

Central Auckland represents Manhattan’s the Cage. The Cage is known for its physicality of play, which may yet be seen by its counterpart, as New Zealand basketball is notoriously physical.

Brooklyn’s the Hole, known for its flashy guard play and iconic superstar Fly Williams, is represented by the East, while the most famous of them all, Rucker Park, can be found in South Auckland.

Adams with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson featured in two virals that became hits inside basketball circles in the US as well as NZ, and was joined by a legendary figure in Julius Erving (pictured), in the project’s main content films.

To have a figure like Erving promoting the game in New Zealand is huge. While basketball has come on leaps and bounds in the country over the past decade, it still has a way to go if it is to attract more of New Zealand’s top athletes.

It is not an easy task, the lure of an All Black jersey is so great and has become so ingrained in New Zealand national identity.

By getting a legend of the game, Doctor J, to acknowledge the sport in the country, Kiwi’s will begin to feel more of a connection to the game abroad, where it really is big business.

As far as street basketball goes, it would be hard to find a more identifiable figure than the Doc J himself.

Even Erving would go unrecognised by many, although he will still be well-recognised within the basketball community. His combination of success in the pros and on the blacktop makes him the ideal person to join Adams as the face of the promotion.

 

The campaign written by Andy Fackrell, acting as consultant creative and project ECD for Dynamo, is in somewhat familiar territory from his adidas and Nike days.

Says Fackrell (now based in Sydney): “It’s been in planning for more than a year, actually written just as Steven was drafted 12th pick for Oklahoma. We – Dynamo, Spark and Steven himself – wanted more than just an ad campaign that has a shelf life of a few weeks.

“A content campaign that serves as a community initiative that connects to kids in Auckland, The Boroughs is here for keeps. Hopefully the spark to a basketball explosion back home.

“We shot between April in LA, New York in July and Auckland in September, and the edit alone took six weeks. It’s been a dream hanging with Doc and Steven, Reggie Jackson all US summer.”

A clip of Adams schooling Fackrell posted by the NBA player on his Facebook site went viral in itself with 150,000 hits.

Says Fackrell: “One of my more humiliating experiences.”

 

Client: Spark NZ

Chief Operating Officer: Jason Paris

Senior Brand and Content Marketing Manager: Arnna Conroy

Communications Exec: Nikora Walters

 

Agency: Dynamo

Executive Creative Director: Andy Fackrell

Agency Producer: Samantha Meehan

Camera /Editor: Steve Gulik

Strategy Directors: Kate Thomas / David McCallen

Account Directors: Sherman Grewal / Mike Harrison

 

Agency: Touchcast

Digital Executive Creative Director: Matt Barnes

Senior Project Manager: Matt Abraham

Design Director: Luke Pittar

Creative Director: David Shirley

 

Agency: Sherson Willis

Director: Trish Sherson

 

Production Company: Geronimo Films

Director: Philip G. Atwell

Executive Producer: Nigel Miguel

Producer: Chris Palladino

DOP: Helge Gerull

 

NZ DOP: Sigi Spath

Sound Design: The Coopers

Music: “Runnin’ by David Dallas

Licensing: Jonathan Hughes, Franklin Rd