Intel’s partnership with the NBA pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in computing power, giving fans the best seat in the house through strategically placed VR cameras and real-time rendering. This technology was probably slightly ahead of its time – imagine if it launched in 2020? Our concept was simple: recreate the only fan seats touching the hardwood in the most unexpected places possible. Our court and chair toured the country, from a lobster boat in Boston to the beaches of LA.
“More downloads in the first week of the campaign than the entire season prior.”
Our director based the creative around the classic filmmaking technique: the dolly zoom, or “zolly”. By widening the focal length as the camera pushed closer, the courtside seat appeared to remain constant in size and position in frame, but the surrounding landscape warped dramatically. The idea was to give the feeling of virtual reality, exposing the viewer to more and more scenery.
In addition to the hero spot, we created matchup-specific edits by adding two chairs to either side, and comping in the opposing teams. The videos were delivered to TNT, allowing them to restripe with highlights to match.
We also made :15s versions for pre-roll ads.
The commercials performed so well for the NBA season, TNT opted to leverage the same campaign for March Madness. We swapped a few shots, comped in new logos, and re-supplied with minimal cost.
BRAND TEAM
Global Creative Director: Teresa Herd
Creative Director: AJ Musial Rivvers
Art Director: Max Hendren
Supervising Producer: Thomas Green
Executive Producer: Jenn Suttlemyre
Account: Chris Kusber
PRODUCTION
Production Company: Normal
Director: AJ Musial Rivvers
2nd Unit Director: Thomas Green
Producer: Anthony Baldino
Line Producer: Ryan Lacen
Director of Photography: Larkin Donely
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Scott Collins
Photographers: Jeff Caroli and AJ Musial Rivvers
POST PRODUCTION
Editorial: Beast
Producers: John Ettinger, Jeff Bielat, Gordon Whittman
Editor: Blake Bogosian
Assistant Editor: Seth Andrews
Motion Graphics: Joe Mackie
Online and Color: Beast
Original Score: Jeremey Black
Audio Mixing: Jody Scott and Jason Victorine