The Kobe System – “Success for the Successful” the New Nike Commercial Full of Overachievers.
I love Nike marketing, and I love Nike Basketball marketing even more.
There is no better time for Nike to premiere a brand new Kobe commercial then when he is lighting it up……and lighting it up he is. He’s got 3 consecutive 40 point games and he has been shooting 50% from the field in the last 7 games. ( He should injure his wrist more often.). Seizing the moment, Nike has released it’s newest campaign.
Directed by Jody Hill (director of HBO’s Eastbound and Down), and the brainchild of ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, the entire campaign is pure genius.
The commercial starts with Kobe emerging from the center of the stage with his fingers displaying a triangular symbol. He is speaking to an audience about being on top of their games. The camera pans the audience and you see right away, Tony Robbins and then Sir Richard Branson. This sets the tone; this is no regular audience.
Kobe says, “You have Prestigous awards”, and he is talking to Kanye West.
He then says, “You are a Chinese Megastar” and he is talking to LeeHom Wang.
(Sidebar: you are still like: who the hell is LeeHom Wang!!! He’s a Chinese Megastar, you heard Kobe! We’ve heard very little about him in the US, besides the fact that he’s a pretty good lookin cat. He has 14 Studio Albums and 4 Live Albums. We don’t know who he is because his 14 albums are in Mandarin aka Chinese! Although he as raised in NY, he got a recording contract when he was visiting his grandparents in Taiwan and the rest is history)
Then he says to Richard Branson, “You own Outerspace”.
Then he says to comedian Aziz Ansari, “You got here by accident”. This is actually hilarious if you understand the contrast. The entire seminar is about where you go, once you have over achieved. What’s the next step, and who better then Kobe to teach this then someone with 5 rings. How do you go for six? The answer is simple,
You Go Over The Top!
I love it.
Bryant’s system is all about promoting his new shoe of course, the Nike Kobe VII System Supreme. All of the overachieves are wearing them.
Along with the commercial the superstars also filmed little testimonial bits about the system and how it’s worked for them. It’s all based on the success pyramid which is that triangular symbol on the shoe, around their necks and what Kobe is doing with his hands when he initially emerges.
All of the stars involved are:
- Aziz Ansari
- Richard Branson
- Landon Donovan
- Larry Fitzgerald
- Jerry Rice
- Tony Robbins
- Paul Rodriguez – skateboarder, not comedian
- Hope Solo,
- LeeHom Wang
- Kanye West
- Serena Williams
I see Donovan Mcnabb, and also Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald also sitting in the back, with a few other celebs.
Enjoy the commercial and some pics of filming in Hollywood. Hey – where the hell is Tiger Woods?
-Cosmo
