Spec Work
Potential Clients: NBA & Apple Music
Focus: Art Direction, Music Artwork, Campaign Design, Marketing Research & Implementation
In January of 2020, the NBA and Apple Music announced a partnership in an agreement with UnitedMasters to feature an official NBA playlist on Apple Music, known as BASE:LINE. The playlist featured up-and-coming independent hip-hop artists and songs from the playlist were used to soundtrack NBA highlight videos shared online.
But what if the NBA and Apple Music wanted to grow this partnership? Take it to the next level. Say hello to NBA Sound, the official music channel of the NBA, exclusively on Apple Music. To expand beyond the BASE:LINE playlist and grow its product offering for the channel’s launch, NBA Sound would add two playlists and a radio station to BASE:LINE. The new playlists would be curated by James Harden and Jayson Tatum and the radio station would belong to none other than the king himself, LeBron James.
LeBron James is the clear choice for an NBA athlete to host his own radio show, as he is already so heavily involved in producing digital content. In designing his radio artwork the goal was to capture the essence of his royal nickname and larger than life persona. All of the athlete artwork designed for this campaign features high fashion outfits, in order to show the athletes in a new light, off of the court and out of uniform.
James Harden has one of the most unique looks in the NBA, his charismatic attitude and dominance on the court have made him a fan favourite and one of the most easily recognizable NBA stars. The artwork for Harden’s playlist is inspired by his youth in Southeast Los Angeles, during the late 1990’s. The font and colour palette are inspired by one of the most influential hip-hop artists in Los Angeles at the time, Dr.Dre and his album 2001. Harden’s outfit features a Morpheus-esque look right down to the ultra reflective sunglasses, an ode to one of the hit films during that era, The Matrix. The ultra lime green glasses and outfit exemplify Harden’s unique and culture defying fashion sense.
Jayson Tatum is considered an NBA star on the rise and the future of the league. In only his fourth season he has won multiple awards and been an NBA All-Star. The name of his playlist is a tribute to basketball culture. When you claim you have the next spot in a pickup game, you’ve...GOT NXT.
In order to promote NBA Sound and drive users to each partner’s streaming services, the NBA and Apple Music would create a joint offering. The focus would be to promote users to opt for Apple Music Annual, a new annual subscription option, while enabling them to try the NBA's League Pass for a longer duration than it’s normal free trial. The offering would include three months of NBA League Pass when users subscribe to Apple Music Annual.
Attributions
Athlete Images: GQ Magazine
Billboard Mockup: Unblast
