What does it take to create a stunning, award-winning movie today? For this, you need to assemble a perfect cast and hire a celebrated director (it goes without saying that money and talanted production is included as well). How to make a stunning, really engaging promotional video these days? Do the same. One of the biggest sport gear and apparel brands, Nike, teamed up with celebrity athlete Kobe Bryant, a rooster of movie stars including Kanye West, Bruce Willis, Danny Trejo, and Robert Rodriguez to shoot a film titled ‘The Black Mamba’ to support the launch of several new additions dedicated to Kobe.
So far, there are two trailers previewing the film—the world premiere is slated for February 19, during the 2011 All-Star Weekend in LA. The short advertising movie will be all in style of the action movies by the ‘Sin City’ director—tense, tough and gritty. Here’s how the upcoming film is described in Nike’s press-release, “The film brings Kobe’s alter ego, the Black Mamba to life in a way that’s never been seen before. As the trailer shows, The Black Mamba highlights Kobe’s everyday determination and ‘fight to the finish’ spirit. The film also showcases Kobe as one of the best basketball players in the world, featuring him as a ‘protector’ of basketball as he fights off those wishing to destroy and attack the game.”
The brand invites its fans to stay tuned by signing up via nikebasketball.com to be the first who will watch the 6-minute movie later this month. The Wieden+Kennedy of Portland agency, which created a number of other campaigns for Nike including ‘Take Control’ and ‘Boom,’ is behind the project’s development.
Nike has also unveiled a series of new products, inspired by Kobe’s mastership on the pitch. The set of new additions comprises several new colorways of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI including three commemorating neighborhoods in and around the site of the 2011 All-Star Game in Los Angeles (East LA, Orange County models are already available for purchase and 3-D Hollywood will arrive in stores on February 11). The design of the shoes incorporates the a-la snake visual elements (Kobe is nicknamed the Black Mamba for his accurate shots).
Photo: Los Angeles Times, Nike Zoom Kobe VI, East LA
Photo: Los AngelesTimes, Nike Zoom Kobe VI, Hollywood
Photo: Los Angeles Times, Nike Zoom Kobe VI, Orange County
The brand also developed the Nike Sportswear K.O.B.E (Know, Originate, Battle, Elevate) collection whose designs depict an iconic athlete’s road to success, as a collection of staple outerwear and apparel, delivering the very best blends of form, function and personality. The line includes a range of hoodie, t-shirts, rugby jersey, and more.