NBA Superstar Russell Westbrook is the Face of New Champs Sports and Jordan Brand Ad Campaign

High school player morphs into Westbrook in TV spot for latest Jordan brand shoes and apparel available at Champs Sports

BRADENTON, Fla.--()--Whether it’s his high-intensity, acrobatic play on the basketball court or his signature fashion sense off it, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook has never been shy about showing off his Game. And although he’s sidelined for the remainder of the 2012-13 NBA Playoffs following knee surgery, Champs Sports and the Jordan brand are standing behind Westbrook by featuring him in a new advertising campaign.

The 30-second television commercial serves as the centerpiece for the campaign. It centers on a high school basketball player picking up the latest Jordan brand gear at a Champs Sports store. Once he dons fresh apparel featuring the iconic Jumpman logo, the teen looks into a mirror and sees Westbrook staring back. Through several fast-paced sequences that follow, the player morphs into Westbrook while driving to the basket in practice, leading his basketball team in a pre-game ritual and hoisting a state championship banner in front of hundreds of applauding classmates. At the end, the player spots Westbrook roaming the halls of his school and gives him a nod as a show of respect.

The spot will debut online through digital media placements appearing on the sites of key sports and lifestyle media partners beginning May 15. It will begin airing in cinema May 17 and on network and cable TV broadcasts, including the NBA Conference Finals, starting May 20.

“Champs Sports is an unrivaled destination for Jordan brand product. And we're extremely excited to be working on this campaign with Russell, who really personifies on-court and off-court Game,” said Frank Bracken, vice president of marketing, Champs Sports. “We think this program will really connect with our consumer because of the great product that's featured, the vivid color stories, and the clever use of Russell in the creative. And our ability to tell this campaign story through TV, cinema, digital and social media means we can surround the consumer with our story in the most relevant media places this summer.”

The lead agency for the campaign is Zambezi. The commercial was produced by Mothership and Digital Domain and was filmed at Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City on April 2. Rapper T.I.’s “Go Get It” serves as the commercial’s soundtrack.

View the full Jordan brand collection at www.champssports.com and the campaign spot at http://youtu.be/5sXwEoeurSo.

About Champs Sports
Champs Sports is one of the largest mall-based specialty athletic footwear and apparel retailers in North America. Its product categories include athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, and a focused assortment of equipment. This combination allows Champs Sports to differentiate itself from other mall-based stores by presenting complete product assortments in a select number of sporting activities. Its more than 540 stores are located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Contacts

For Champs Sports:
Fast Horse
Dave Fransen, 612-360-8824
davef@fasthorseinc.com
or
Andrew Miller, 612-819-7000
andrewm@fasthorseinc.com

Release Summary

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is the star of the new Champs Sports advertising campaign for Jordan brand.

Contacts

For Champs Sports:
Fast Horse
Dave Fransen, 612-360-8824
davef@fasthorseinc.com
or
Andrew Miller, 612-819-7000
andrewm@fasthorseinc.com