VIDEO: Nike Reveals Powerful New Kobe Bryant Ad During Tribute at Staples Center
Monday's Kobe Bryant Memorial has featured powerful speeches from those close to the late Los Angeles Lakers star. Nike got in on the tributes as well by releasing a brand new ad that honors Bryant and goes through his life and greatest achievements.
Mamba Forever.
— Nike (@Nike) February 24, 2020
(sound on) pic.twitter.com/B2LUIcpRCc
The word "Forever" never leaves the screen as words and phrases such as "Philly Kid," "60 and Out," "8," "Fadeaways" and others show up with audio related to each moment. This all leads to the final frame of "Mamba Forever."
The sound has to be on to fully appreciate this ad. Nike did an amazing job of going through Bryant's life with snippets of audio that bring to life the greatness of Kobe, all in a simplistic way that was fitting of such a somber day.
The public memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna ends with shouts of "Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!" from the crowd at the Staples Center. https://t.co/J6BEDMVbfD pic.twitter.com/2TiFChjei8
— ABC News (@ABC) February 24, 2020
Companies must have compassion in times like these to avoid coming off as an obvious money-grab. Yet, Nike didn't promote a product, and failed to provide as much as a simple logo during the production of this piece.