As an avid lover of hip hop, sports, and sneakers, when I saw this video land in my inbox the other day I was immediately intrigued. The headline contained the words "Cool Kids" I was like "there is no way these media people are about to use some of my favorite Chicago rappers to sell their sneakers?!" Honestly, this commercial is genius. The use of the exclusive track in conjunction with appearances from NBA players Amar’e Stoudemire and Chris Bosh, NFL receiver DeSean Jackson and MLB legend Ken Griffey Jr. reinforces the cool/fly factor of both brands. Nike toes the line between athlete and fashion rebel with an understated finesse.
Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to see the Cool Kids perform, but I have seen/interacted with them at many events and shows. To say you can pick them out of a crowd is an understatement. These dudes have some innovative style, and I love to see what they're wearing. They stand out in a crowd where everyone has designed outfits to stand out. This ad encompasses their individual style (personal and lyrical) perfectly. Including the song keeps the commercial more authentic to a subset of the target, because the duo are a bit more underground.
One can only assume that during the creative process Nike & Footlocker made a calculated decision to design a commercial that reaches beyond the underground hip hop community, and elusive sneakerheads. The brands wisely chose to combine the star power of popular athletes with the rappers. The choice to include Stoudemire, Bosh, Jackson and Griffery resonates with an even larger audience target, giving the commercial a more mainstream reach than the underground hip hop sneakerhead.
As a result of all this analysis I am going to rock my Nike hi-tops this afternoon.
Well played Nike.
