Entertainment First: DoorDash and MikeTeevee Prove Brands Are the Studios of Tomorrow

Towards the end of 2024, hip-hop legend Kurtis Blow breathed new life into his classic '80s anthem Basketball to celebrate DoorDash's renewed partnership with the NBA. Teaming up with Grammy-winning producer Hit-Boy, Blow added shout-outs to today's NBA stars and enlisted rising talent Lola Brooke to drop fresh bars honouring the WNBA. 

Directed by the dynamic duo of Dave Meyers and his daughter Cassidy, the music video brought the energy of New York City to life, featuring Knicks standouts Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart alongside WNBA icon Sue Bird. Ellen Utrecht, founder of MikeTeevee and the project’s executive producer, hailed the project as a bold step forward, blending music and sport to define a new era of branded entertainment.

Originally briefed as a 30-second TV commercial, the campaign quickly evolved into something far more ambitious: a fully reimagined track. Working with DoorDash’s in-house agency, Superette, Utrecht shared her ethos: “We always ask, what else? How can we help our partners create content people actually enjoy, without it screaming ‘brought to you by a brand’?”

In a time when traditional tentpole campaigns are fading, Basketball’s approach optimised content across all channels while forging a deeper connection between brand and audience. For Utrecht, branded entertainment is about crafting authentic associations: “I think that branded entertainment is about what a brand really wants to communicate, or stand for.” 

The campaign sought to honour basketball’s roots – its community-driven spirit before the NBA’s rise. From backyard hoops to high school games, the campaign tied those timeless values to DoorDash’s mission of empowering local communities, perfectly aligning with the song’s modern revival to celebrate this pivotal moment in basketball history.

How can brands evolve to not just advertise but truly engage through entertainment? Utrecht believes the future lies in blending music, experiential marketing, and pop culture into a studio-like approach. Advertising once entertained; now, it’s a costly, conversion-driven necessity. But there’s potential to innovate by creating content that entertains while subtly integrating brand values. Platforms like TikTok are redefining content consumption with reality TV-style trends driven by creators; brands can tap into this without being overtly promotional.

Music, often undervalued in branding, plays a massive role in emotional resonance. Brands like Red Bull and Patagonia excel by intertwining storytelling and culture, yet many still miss this opportunity. This untapped space is where we should focus - crafting a future where brands enrich entertainment. Utrecht sees tremendous opportunities in branded entertainment, stating, “We’d love to do more in this space and help give brands the confidence to really push boundaries.” Brands possess the unique ability not only to respond to culture but to shape it. So why not entertain us in the process?