Continuing the campaign Most Valuable Puppets (MVPs), Nike Basketball is back, the brand now decided to bring versions featuring rappers KRS1 and Lupe Fiasco (giving one of Santa Claus, complete with reindeer and everything). To give it a Christmas rap, along with the already known characters of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
The campaign is created by Wieden + Kennedy in Portland.
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12 comments:
Feelings: Amused and embarassed. "Shout out to the workshop" and the part where Blitzen has a taste of his candy cane made me laugh a little. It isn't the rap...it's the attitude, the room with all the lights, the shades...is this is us? Is this *our* culture...who defines what that is? Am I a hater or out of touch? Why do I feel sick and misrepresented? So many questions from this one...
Jennifer, I think it's the recycled feeling you get from this kind of advertising. Even if the entire team who did this was "African American" you know it's just for the sake of selling and giving a little cheer, but ultimately selling.
Having said that, I thought they were cute. At times funny and I'm a KRS1 fan.
Jennifer,
Your thoughts and feelings are all valid.
But as per your question ("is this us?") well, yeah, hip-hop is a PART of black culture. So is basketball. That's just the way it is.
Does hip-hop and b'ball define the entire black experience? Of course not. But if blacks embrace these facets of their culture (as opposed to, say, feeling ashamed for fear of ridicule from The White Man) then we ALL can enjoy this advert as it was intended.
Happy Holidays.
Hope this helps.
I wasn't feeling the one with Kobe and 'Bron driving in the car, but this Christmas special is D-O-P-E. Jayanta and I had an Interscope A&R cat in the office when we watched it. All of us were cracking up.
Almost forgot...
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!
Merry Christmas to you Jimmy!!!
Interesting you thought they were cute Craig...I was wondering if being a fan makes a difference...does this piece speak to people who love the game and the artists? I enjoy them, but not necessarily a fan.
@Ego Trippin...of course hip-hop and b-ball are a part of our culture. Of course it doesn't define our whole experience. I not only embrace both...I've even been known to bob my head to a song containing this hip hop and maybe even bounced a ball outside of gym class (though too short and uncoordinated for any real team).
Additionally, before the giant leap connecting my feelings of embarrassment to fear of White men's ridicule...I think a question, like "Why embarassment, Jennifer?" is in order. Then I'd respond, "Well, ET, I'm exhausted with the same old one perspective being tossed about as the only perspective. I don't feel shame regarding what others might think, but what are *we* thinking? I believe that some of this has been created/encouraged by "The White Man" that you have referred to so I doubt that he/they disapprove (if that were in fact the issue). Anyhow, ET, I just wonder how we might create a broader space in which we can exist? As a mother and wife (and daughter, niece...) of amazing Black men, I don't love this image even more because it's so easy to make this them and minimize their intelligence, sensitivity, range of creative expression by slapping sunglasses on Blitzen and the flashing lights background that has been around for at least a decade I think. (I also happen to think that dumbing things down is the cross cultural order of the day so my feelings aren't limited to stuff with Black folk/puppets.)
I guess ET, what I'm feeling is a desire to see more of us because there is so much more than this. Further, if this is about marketing, I may not be the only tired person out there...it would make sense that those looking to get a piece of my millions (I kid) would start wondering what would get me (and those like me) excited about what they're selling." Then you might see my point or have more to say and I'd listen.
Happy holidays, thanks for a fun moment in this very quiet day!
Thanks, Jennifer, for a very thoughtful reply.
I would say that there have been many occasions where adverts featuring black Americans surprises and engages us with something that doesn't tick the stereotypical, familiar and cliched boxes.
Using one very relevant example, there's the Wieden + Kennedy's classic Nike basketball freestyle commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HTvGvNSSk8). And using an example outside of advertising, the series 24 had a black president of the United States before we knew what a Barack was.
Going back to Wieden + Kennedy, they have produced hundreds of commercials and adverts that show the black experience in an aspirational, empowering light. (And without those typical flashing lights!)
Granted, you are right in that there are a lot of insensitive advertising that portray the black experience as inferior, unintelligent and one-dimensional.
But with all this said, I personally would take this particular Nike b'ball campaign as embracing cliches but refreshing it. (I mean, c'mon, how often do you see b'balling reindeer puppets in an ad?)
(I mean, c'mon, how often do you see b'balling reindeer puppets in an ad?)
Touche :)
Aiight, my turn.
I agree with you Jennifer. When targeting young African-American males, advertising agency creatives tend to rely on just one aspect of black culture to sell the product. They rely on rap.
HOWEVER, I don't believe you can fault the creatives for using what they know to reach African-American youth...no, check that...ALL YOUTH. After all, Black culture is now pop culture, and has been for a loooong time, now.
It's just that many creatives don't understand the many other dope facets and layers of hip-hop and Black culture.
NOW, I also agree with ET. Wieden + Kennedy is rarely guilty of simply scratching the surface of the culture. Their creatives don't just rely on rap. Sure they use rap (they'd be nuts not to since Nike is their client), but they use it as more of salt and pepper thang.
Take the MVPuppets campaign. I believe the Santa Claus joint is the only rap ad in the entire campaign. Even if there's another rap spot that I've missed in this campaign, they've produced like 50 of these joints. So 2 or 3 rap ads out of 50 proves that the creatives have dug deeper than just rap. Below are some examples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3zzhSIHrww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5SUGradEUs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP-p9i85sNc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leWtBAw6Ilc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JikV--RTYCs
FYI - ummm, KRS-One is the one doing the voice for Santa Claus.
We all know how militant he is & how he won't hesitate to call out racism. He's also alot more politically conscious than 99.9% of us out here.
If KRS-One didn't see anything wrong w/ this stuff (enough to participate), then should any of us be complaining???
I've learned to trust his judgment when it comes to these things bcuz he's enlightened me on alotta things related to Blackness/racism that I WASN'T even aware of.
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