NBA players are like fish out of water in Goodby, Silverstein & Partners' latest ad for the league.
"Delivery Season," which breaks Tuesday night during broadcasts of the first games of the 2013-14 season, features Rudy Gay of the Toronto Raptors, DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers and Amar'e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks. But rather than on the court—or even in a locker room—we see them separately in an apartment-building lobby, on a sidewalk and behind the wheel of a mail truck as they overcome obstacles to deliver tickets to fans. Along the way, they're foiled by a broken elevator, pouring rain and a honking motorist. They take it all in stride, though, and ultimately deliver the goods.
The ad is the first of two in a campaign that touts the NBA's online source for game tickets, NBATickets.com. Director Christopher Riggert of Biscuit Filmworks (who previously directed Goodby's "Forever Kobe" spot for the NBA) shot this initial execution in Los Angeles, using the Paramount Studios lot for cityscapes and indoor settings and the Warner Bros. ranch for suburban scenes, according to GSP creative director Adam Reeves.
On the set, the players improvised a bit, with Stoudemire in particular surprising Reeves with his ability to act. Mostly, though, Reeves wanted them to just be themselves, right down to the team uniforms they wear throughout the action. After all, the humor is mostly in the odd juxtaposition of star athletes and mundane settings—not necessarily in what they say or do.
Finally, from a business perspective, the athletes-as-deliverymen idea works as well. As NBA evp of marketing Jamie Gallo put it, the tickets site "allows fans to get tickets directly from the source. So, we created a spot where players literally deliver tickets door-to-door to drive home that point."
CREDITS
Client: NBA
Spot: "Delivery Service"
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Creative Department
Co-Chairmen: Jeff Goodby, Rich Silverstein
Creative Directors: Adam Reeves, Nick Klinkert
Art Director: Nick Luckett
Copywriters: Andrew Burton, Pete Harvey
Production Department
Executive Broadcast Producer: Tod Puckett
Broadcast Producer: Timothy Plain
Account Services Department
Account Directors: Jason Bedecarre, Janice McManemy
Account Manager: Heather Morba
Brand and Communication Strategy
Director of Brand Strategy: Brendan Robertson
Business Affairs
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Julie Petruzzo
Business Affairs Manager: Nihad Peavler
Outside Vendors
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Christopher Riggert
Director of Photography: Carl Nilsson
Managing Director: Shawn Lacy
Executive Producer: Holly Vega
Producer: Scott Kaplan
Editing House: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Stewart Reeves
Assistant Editor: Dustin LaForce
Producer: Alexandra Zickerick
Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver
Postproduction
Finishing: Framestore
Executive Producer: Kati Haberstock
Graphics: E Level
Sound Design, Mix: One Union
Sound Designer, Mixer: Joaby Deal
