Planet of the Reebok Apes

One of the simian stars of Twentieth Century Fox’s soon-to-be-released “Planet of the Apes” has the lead role in ads touting Reebok Classic sneakers.

The print and outdoor effort, crafted by Bartle Bogle Hegarty of New York, features the remake’s “Ape Commander” brandishing a sword while wearing a pair of Reebok Classics. Little text is used other than the line “Evolved classic.” The film’s logo appears in the lower right hand corner of the ads.

Reebok’s overall global tagline, “Defy convention,” introduced in a $100 million push in January by lead agency Berlin Cameron & Partners, New York, is not present.

Print executions will appear in upcoming issues of publications such as InStyle, GQ, Vanity Fair, Teen People and Details. Billboards are being unveiled this month in locations around Los Angeles to hype the movie’s July 27 premier.

BBH has worked on the Classic sneaker line since September 1998, when it won the business from Heater Advertising, Boston, an agency now known as Red Advertising.

A year ago, Reebok and BBH crafted ads linking the Classic line to Paramount Pictures’ remake of “Shaft.” Those ads featured the tag “Shaft classic” and showed the film’s star, Samuel L. Jackson, in a trench coat and sneakers.