Building on Nike’s global basketball platform ‘My game is made outside’, the film traces the rise of six local basketball heroes.
In the film, Ledesma conducts interviews with the players’ friends and family members who had watched their careers grow. The six were also brought back to their hometowns to introduce the places where they had grown up, lending a personal touch to the film.
In the film, Ledesma conducts interviews with the players’ friends and family members who had watched their careers grow. The six were also brought back to their hometowns to introduce the places where they had grown up, lending a personal touch to the film.
Nike decided to use a documentary as a communications tool because of its ability to explore the passion that Filipinos have for the sport, according to Melissa Crucillo, marketing manager of Nike Philippines.
“We are able to tell a great deal more about the brand in a 60-minute film than we can in any print ad or 60-second TV spot. A documentary is the best medium to tell this story because it allowed us to delve deep into the lives of the players and uncover many things about Philippine basketball in the process,” she explained.
Ledesma was a natural choice for director, she noted, given his talent and understanding of both the Philippine basketball scene and the Nike brand. His brief had been to tell an inspiring story of how basketball influences the lives of these local players.
Said Crucillo: “We hope to continue to inspire the Filipino children’s hoop dreams through the film. Visually, we wanted to remain true to the sights and colours of the Philippines while marrying it with contemporary basketball imagery.”
There was no deliberate attempt by Nike to ensure that the brand remains visible in the show, she stressed. “Our utmost concern was to maintain the authenticity of Philippine basketball. And if that meant capturing kids playing in slippers and non-branded or other-branded basketball gear, we showed it. We dug deep into the heart and soul of Philippine basketball to tell the story in a real way.”
The film premiered in Manila and will be shown at high schools and colleges. Distribution via DVDs and a possible network broadcast are being planned. Nike has no plans to replicate this initiative in other Southeast Asian markets as yet.
