W+K Portland, LeBron James ‘Come Out of Nowhere’ for New Nike Campaign

By Erik Oster 

With the arrival of the NBA season, W+K Portland launched a new spot for Nike featuring voiceover and a brief appearance by LeBron James.

The spot sees James imploring young viewers to “Come Out of Nowhere” and surprise all the doubters. “You’re not supposed to be here,” he says at the opening of the ad, “you’re not supposed to get out of your neighborhood,” calling to mind W+K’s approach in its “Just A Kid From Somewhere” campaign for Powerade.

The voiceover is accompanied by black and white footage of young basketball players, all wearing James’ number 23, succeed despite conceptions that they shouldn’t. Other things you’re not supposed to do include passing the ball so much, playing like a giant “no matter what” or play 40 minutes and then sprint 40 feet to make a career-defining defensive play.

The spot made its broadcast debut last night, as James scored a triple double to help the Cavs defeat the Knicks. In addition to the spot, the campaign, which will run through the first two weeks of the season, contains a series of OOH efforts highlighting other players who seemed to “Come Out of Nowhere” (and perhaps embody the sentiment better than the high school phenom LeBron). Running in each player’s market, these include Isaiah ThomasKevin DurantKyrie Irving and Paul George.
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Credits:
Client: Nike
Title: “Come Out of Nowhere”
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Global Creative Directors: Alberto Ponte, Ryan O’Rourke
Interactive Director: Dan Viens
Copywriter: Jordan Dinwiddie
Art Directors: Jacob Weinstein, Emma Barnett
Integrated Production Director: Matt Hunnicutt
Senior Integrated Producer: Molly Tait Tanen
Agency Production Assistant: Emily Knight
Digital Producer: Keith Rice
Art Production: Amy Berriochoa, Krystle Mortimore
Project Management: Emily Norman
Studio Design Manager: Simone Takasaki
Studio Designer: Edgar Morales
Retoucher: Greg Radich, Frazer Goodbody
Motion Production, Design: Jeff Ackley
Strategic Planning: Andy Lindblade, Nathan Goldberg, Reid Schilperoort
Media, Communications Planning: Danny Sheniak, John Furnari, Brian Goldstein, Anthony Holton
Account Team: Chris Willingham, Katie Gurgainus, Eric Watkins, Simone Jackson
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Laura Caldwell
Broadcast Traffic: Stefanie Goodell, Andrea Sierra

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Production Company: Anonymous Content
Director: Mark Romanek
Executive Producer: SueEllen Clair
Line Producers: Bridgette Pugh, Tom Martin
Director of Photography: Adam Arkapaw
Production Designer: Jeff Higinbotham

Edit Company: Spot Welders
Editor: Robert Duffy
Assistant Editor: Sophie Kornberg
Post Producer: Lisa English
Executive Post Producer: Carolina Sanborn
Visual Effects Company: The Mill
2-D Lead Artist: John Shirley
2-D Artists: James Allen, Adam Lambert, Kelsey Napier
Senior Visual Effects Producer: Enca Kaul
Visual Effects Producer: Anastasia von Raul
Visual Effects Supervisor: John Shirley

Color: Company 3
Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Color Producer: Ashley McKim

Producers: Rick Rubin, Jonathan Sanford
Composers: John Christopher Barnes, Jason Lader
Sound Designer: Matt Miller, Lime Studios
Song: “Here You Are”

Music, Sound, Mix: Licensed track from Human Worldwide
Producer: Rick Rubin
Audio Mixer: Matt Miller
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

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