BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct 25, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Nike (NYSE:NKE) today announced the launch of "Rise,"
a new multi-media campaign featuring reigning two-time NBA MVP LeBron
James speaking in his own voice. In the film, he addresses his
off-season controversy head-on and focuses on the road ahead.
Rise features several sides of LeBron's personality: athlete,
competitor, comedian and businessman. It opens with him sitting in a
chair in front of the backdrop of "The Decision" asking, "What should I
do?" Throughout the film LeBron rhetorically asks everyone for their
opinion and each scene reflects opinions that have been expressed. A
notable scene includes LeBron saying, "I am not a role model," borrowing
a famous line from fellow Nike athlete Charles Barkley. LeBron also
humorously asks, "Should I try acting?" He gets advice from Don Johnson,
an actor best known for his role as Detective Sonny Crokett on the
iconic 80's TV series Miami Vice, who advises him that things will get
better with time. LeBron also reads part of a soulful poem written by
world-renowned poet, Dr. Maya Angelou. The film ends with LeBron driving
to the net and saying in response to everyone, "Should I be who you
want me to be?"
"In Rise, we amplify LeBron's voice," said Davide Grasso, Vice
President of Global Brand Marketing. "We're celebrating his courage to
forge his own journey even when others may have disagreed with his
decisions. It's this Just Do It spirit that defines LeBron and Nike as
we strive to inspire all young athletes."
The campaign will debut globally with a 90-second film on YouTube on Monday, October 25th
and will subsequently air on TNT Tuesday, October 26, during one of the
most highly anticipated games of the season, the opener between Miami
and Boston. The campaign will also air during sports and entertainment
broadcasting across national networks into November with the main
placements to include TNT, ESPN, and Sports & Youth Cable (BET,
Comedy Central, MTV2 Fuse, Adult Swim, Fox Sports, ESPN Family, TNT NBA,
NBA TV).
The campaign was created by Wieden & Kennedy of Portland, Ore., directed by Stacy Wall and can be viewed at http://bit.ly/dDuzbk
For more information including multi-media, visit http://www.nikemedia.com.
About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading
designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear,
apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and
fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan,
which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags,
accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and
distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley
International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports
and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a
leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more
information, visit http://www.nikebiz.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6481944&lang=en
SOURCE: NIKE, Inc.
Nike Media Relations, 212-367-4447