McDonald’s ‘Showdown 2.0’ Is an Homage to the '90s , Starring Angel Reese and the WNBA’s Cultural Rise
McDonald’s long-standing relationship with basketball dates back to 1977– Michael Jordan starred in iconic ads for the brand in the late ’80s and ’90s, including the legendary ‘Showdown’ spot with Larry Bird. With ‘Showdown 2.0’, McDonald’s launched its first-ever female athlete meal with WNBA star Angel Reese, whom writer Jen Hubard and art director Laura Bailey credit as a major driver of the league’s recent cultural momentum.
To mark the historic occasion, Wieden+Kennedy NY called on Scheme Engine director Anthony Jamary Thomas, known for his playful style and experience of working with athletes.‘Showdown 2.0’ is an epic, bold, feminine homage to the best of the ‘90s and Y2K aesthetics, celebrating both Angel and the rising power of the WNBA. The film also features basketball stars Lisa Leslie, Breanna Stewart, and Aalyah de Rosario representing the past, present, and future of the WNBA, respectively, plus WNBA superfan and musician, Latto.
Anthony says the agency came through with “absolute bangers” as inspiration but the north star was always “referential, not reference” – keeping the homage fresh and rooted in the now. “The collaborative process was at a level I wish for all of my projects. Conversations were rich back-and-forths between the agency, the client, and every team involved,” Anthony says.
LBB’s Zhenya Tsenzharyk caught up with Anthony, Jen, and Laura to learn more about the film and its inspirations, what happened on the day of the shoot, and the playlist that was in constant rotation during production to get everyone’s energy going.
LBB> Though McDonald’s has a long history of partnerships with basketball players – the collaboration with Angel Reese marks not only a return but the first female athlete to have their own special. Why was this the right time for the brand to do so and what made Angel Reese the perfect talent partner?
Jen and Laura> McDonald's has had a long history in hoops but it's never extended beyond the NBA. The WNBA has seen a meteoric rise in the past few years and Angel Reese is a huge part of why that's happened. She's a fiercely unapologetic athlete who's making moves both on and off the court. We were so excited to partner with her on this and think she more than deserves the first female athlete with their own special at McDonald's.
LBB> You worked with director Anthony Jamari Thomas. Tell us why he was the right person for the project?
Jen and Laura> Anthony's experience with shooting athletes (particularly basketball players) paired with his energetic, instantly recognisable style made him the true standout for this project. Not only was he extremely collaborative from start to finish, his perspective elevated the work in a way that excited everyone, from clients to crew. His ability to get genuine, natural performances from all of the athletes was incredibly invaluable.
LBB> Anthony, what kind of brief did W+K come to you with? What were your initial thoughts?
Anthony> In the storyboards was a reverence for Angel’s career and the legacy she’s building. The WNBA as a cultural shifting force and the excellence of Angel’s game on and off the court occasioned something momentous. The roster of women felt fresh, intergenerational and clear. Angel has a very specific view of community and its connection to her game was in full view through the people she chose to share her world with. This sentiment felt central to the campaign- make something signature, but also real with the visual language of the brief.
When I saw the brief standing ten toes down in the 90s, I instantly felt connected and wanted to jump in. That decade has a special place in my heart—I revere it as the golden era of the punchline. Add the hoop element and the chance to reference a monumental work like ‘The Showdown’ (thank you, Joe Pytka), I knew I had to come with it.
LBB> Let’s talk about the aesthetic – it really brings together the best of the ‘90s and Y2K with an unapologetically feminine angle. Why did you opt to channel those eras specifically? And what kind of references did you have in mind?
Jen and Laura> The original ‘McDonald's x hoops’ work was iconically '90s and Y2K in its shooting style. We didn't want to lose that, but we also knew it couldn't just be a rinse and repeat. Anthony developed a tone that was referential, not a repeat, with clear call-backs to the past while also bringing something new to today's generation, who may not even be familiar with past work.
LBB> What kind of references did W+K NY come to you with?
Anthony> Absolute bangers. From the start, the brand's catalogue was the springboard – the McDonald’s Dream ‘Team II’ spot, Larry Bird’s ‘Big 33’, the hilarious duo of Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, who shared a decent amount of screen-time in their Mickey D’s legacy. These really spoke to the candid, performance-centric approach necessary for our spot’s DNA. Oh yeah, there was definitely Dennis Rodman’s ‘Color Change Cups’; we can’t leave this conversation without referencing him…Across all of the spots, there was certainly a level of cheekiness, play, and satire that I infinitely try to infuse into my work.
LBB> What was the line between inspiration, homage, and pastiche while working on this?
Jen and Laura> Wardrobe styling, shooting on film, vibrant colour correction, and music choice were just some of the ways we explored the aesthetic. It was about taking cues from the past but staying true to Angel, Stewie, Lisa Leslie, Aalyah Del Rosario, and WNBA superfan Latto. As long as their influence felt contemporary and true to their personalities, that kept everything feeling fresh while paying homage to the '90s and Y2K aesthetic.
Anthony> The running line of this campaign was 'referential not reference' and I think that sums up the game completely. I wanted to steer clear of making something dated or out of touch and I feel we achieved that. With such strong examples in our rear view mirror I wanted to make sure we didn’t copy, but we leaned into the asking ‘how do we conjure the essence of 90s advertising while birthing something new for the confidence, cool and attitude of Angel, her audience as well as that of Stewie, Aalyah, Young Angel Reese, Latto, and Lisa?’
LBB> The films channel the 90s and Y2K and the nostalgia feels really fun. How did you achieve that look and feel from a technical perspective?
Anthony> We dug, then talked and dug some more. Staying clear of cliche was important, so it felt right to really put our feet into the potato salad with everything from production design to cinematography, nailing the surrealist playful tone that made those two eras so prominent. With the Breanna Stewart vs Angel set, we lifted the basketball court into a satirical floating ‘sky dome’.
For Angel’s airbrushed world, we were inspired both by Jamel Shabazz’s photography and Brooklyn's Fulton Mall family portraits. Looking at the cinematography that defined the era—extreme angles, fourth wall breaks, whip pans and so on. I love Jim Riswold's work with Michael Jordan—specifically ‘Hare Jordan’—and 1:1’d a few frames from that campaign with zero regrets. Another subtle but key influence was Hype Williams—a slickness that feels playful but grounded. Huge thanks to Jen, Laura, Cris—everyone on the W+K side who encouraged a sense of discovery to explore every reference I brought to the table.
LBB> Angel’s personality is the heart of the films. How did you bring it out and protect it amid such a stylised shoot?
Anthony> Angel just is and forever will be a force. I immediately felt her professionalism and sense of being. Her warmth and the bite of her youth really set the tone, encouraging me to go off. I think you really feel her shine through because this is her world, with friends, colleagues, mentors – it’s all here, from the demure, comedic, fly, and competitive – a celebration of who she is without feeling forced. The campaign does an excellent job in memorialising the past, present, and the future evolution of the WNBA. When Rob Witt (DP), Spencer Graves (PD) and the magic of our design team landed the concepts without flaw, I knew the components were in place to make something special.
LBB> Anthony, tell us a little about what happened during the shoot itself.
Anthony> It was three days of energy, high energy. Getting to know Angel wasn’t difficult as she showed up authentically in every chapter of our shoot. As my anchor to this whole thing, she carried it on her back and stuck to giving real, personable performances, even working some of the lines in the script to make those her own. Of course there was adrenaline, bits of chaos here and there but it was all necessary to make something of scale, with this much joy, this much spirit. It was truly a family feel that made everything about the production feel unlike typical work.
LBB> You’ve worked with athletes before. What are some of the main considerations when directing and shooting athletes?
Anthony> The players I’ve had the privilege to work with are superstars in their own right, and they’ve all been an absolute blast to collaborate with. I admire their understanding of working against the clock and the demand to perform on a dime is second nature. That helps us get in the pocket faster and really bring the project to life. Having a sports movement tech was also key. I work with Duray Thirdgill whose prowess with making the athletic needs of our script possible had a huge impact. The moves I pitched were shaped into a flow our athletes could bring their own flavour to. In my head, I’m a hooper—but then I look down at my feet and my jump shot and remember the difference between their game and mine, lol.
LBB> What was your favourite part of working on this campaign?
Jen and Laura> Seeing everyone's passion and their eagerness to build a new legacy with the McDonald's x WNBA relationship. Angel's charisma and personality shines through in all of the work, and every single person on set was genuinely excited to be there and make it happen. Plus, seeing all of these legends play basketball rocked.
Anthony> My favourite part, I would have to say, was the R&D behind designing the sets. Hours of Hype joints, Pinterest boards, Tumblr and even various cartoons went into the discussion of how to execute what we saw in our minds. We made a playlist to get energy going that was in constant rotation. Every meeting with the W+K and McDonald’s team was ill - every dialogue just allowed us to find an accord with one another as quickly as possible to get to the next steps. It was a privilege to see all the ladies come through with their own take on how to express themselves in this world we’ve built; the banter being the glue that held it all together. Overall, there was a feeling of possibility that reigned true throughout, empowering the symbol of the female athlete and doing so with a very genuine cast.
