Basketball Is a Whole New Game in NBA Ad by Ringan Ledwidge

Rattling Stick director Ringan Ledwidge puts the state of the world into perspective in a new spot for the return of the NBA. The creative is by Cartwright, the newly launched agency of former 72andSunny ECD Keith Cartwright. 

Entitled 'It’s a Whole New Game', the ad features writer, producer and actress Issa Rae. In an empty arena she is pondering some pivotal moments from the previous season before sneakily - and by the help of smart post production - inserting herself into some of the scenes. 

"It's the game you love like you've never seen it before," Issa says. "22 teams all in one place ready to make history. This isn't the same NBA, it's a whole new game. But I think we can all agree, we're glad it's back."

The aim of the campaign is to get NBA fans to reconnect with a reworked state of the sport they love. The 2019-20 NBA season restarts next week but will look much different due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unsurprisingly there will be no fans present at games but also every game will be played in Orlando as part of a 'bubble' formed at the NBA's Walk Disney World campus. 

The spot with be translated into at least 10 languages: Mandarin, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. The campaign will also feature three other spots which will launch throughout the season, airing on TV, digital, and social platforms along with being integrated into the NBA's Orlando campus.