Hot Sauce. Skip to My Lou. Main Event. Kevin. The park league nickname has always been a valued tradition in the realm of streetball, meaningful monikers passed down from the basketball gods that can become legend, a la Dr. J or Pee Wee Kirkland. Kevin Durant, for all of his NBA greatness, has yet to merge his skills with an equally skillful nickname. Yes, there’s KD and the Durantula (and perhaps the best one via Jalen Rose, who resurrected the name Iceberg Slim), but it just doesn’t feel right yet.
For the latest Nike effort from W+K Portland, which was created in partnership with Foot Locker, the agency decided to take Durant’s lack of nicknameness and build an ad around it. The sixty-second spot, which features comedian Hannibal Buress as MC, is the coming-out party for Kevin “Kevin” Durant. Buress runs through pre-game introductions and calls out intricate nicknames for random guys like Don Juan Have a Picnic by the Pond, but when he gets to Durant, the crowd goes silent. Kevin Kevin: It’s funny because it’s true. Credits after the jump.
Global Creative Directors | Alberto Ponte / Ryan O’Rourke |
Agency Executive Producer | Matt Hunnicutt |
Copywriter | Nathaniel Friedman |
Art Director | Jason Campbell |
Agency Producer | Chris Capretto |
Account Supervisor | Jordan Muse |
Project Manager | Lauren Walker |
Executive Creative Directors | Joe Staples / Susan Hoffman |
Head of Production | Ben Grylewicz |
PRODUCTION | |
Production Company | Caviar |
Director | Jonathan Levine |
Executive Producer | Michael Sagol |
Line Producer | BP Cooper |
Director of Photography | Matthew Libatique |
EDITORIAL | |
Editorial Company | Arcade Edit |
Editor | Geoff Hounsell |
Post Producer | Leslie Carthy |
Post Executive Producer | Nicole Visram |
VFX | |
VFX Company | Airship Post |
Flame Artist | Matt Lydecker |
VFX Producer | Kristen Zaik |
Titles/Graphics | Wieden+Kennedy Studio |
MUSIC + SOUND DESIGN | |
Music+Sound Company | Walker |
Composer | DJ Mustard |
Song (if applicable) | “Bang On It Remix” |
Producer | Sara Matarazzo |
MIX | |
Mix Company | Lime Studios |
Mixer | Rohan Young |
Producer | Jessica Locke |