Timberwolves, Their Fans and Zambezi Redefine ‘Minnesota Nice’
NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and independent advertising agency Zambezi unveiled a new team campaign for the first time in four years, “Bring the Nice.” Developed with the agency’s Zambezi North office in Minneapolis, the integrated campaign redefines the sentiment ‘Minnesota Nice' from thoughtful and neighbourly to bold and athletic, tapping into the current cultural lexicon of the word ‘nice.’ Fueled by the team's resurgence and led by rising star Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves are set to ignite the 2024-25 season by celebrating the spirit of their dedicated fan base with a new level of swagger.
The campaign is anchored by a :60 film starring Anthony and his Timberwolves teammates, along with Minneapolis-based young athletes, local business owners and real fans—there are no actors. Complete with a custom-built visual world of local OOH, global digital and social, and in arena creative, the hero film debuts on team social today and airs tomorrow during the Timberwolves regular season opener versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The Timberwolves fan base and this team have unlocked something special in Minnesota,” said Mike Grahl, chief marketing officer at Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. “We’re excited to have some fun with a campaign that serves as both an invitation to fans and a warning to opponents.”
“We wanted to honour and include the realest Wolves fans, fans who have been here and are ready to back a championship-aspiring squad,” said Chris Raih, founder of Zambezi. “In basketball culture, ‘nice’ has come to mean game, skill, reputation. ‘Bring The Nice,’ means we’re proud to rep Minnesota, but we’re also here to compete. You might get dunked on.”
At its core, the campaign offers a fresh take on the region’s signature 'Minnesota Nice' attitude, seamlessly blending Midwestern values with the language of basketball to redefine the moniker. Zambezi North and the Timberwolves creative team remixed ‘nice’ into something potent and interesting. Crafted entirely in Minnesota, the spot showcases authentic local culture and embodies the true spirit of Midwestern loyalty.
“This campaign connects us with our fans on a deeper level,” said Heather Meyer, vice president of marketing at Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. “We worked hard to reflect the spirit of our fan base and team as we enter this exciting new chapter of Timberwolves basketball.”
The film was shot in Minnesota by Zambezi’s production studio FIN, who also handled post production, to capture the essence of Timberwolves fans and Minnesota’s local culture, featuring real-life local fans and players, including nationally ranked East Ridge High School basketball player Vienna Murray as she makes a jump shot, superfan Geri Mannie showing off the real Naz Reid tattoo she got when Beloved Studios tattoo parlour owner JC Strobel gave them away for free, longtime courtside fixture Jordan Dye greeting fellow fans at Hi-Lo Diner, the local boys basketball team from The Blake School, and local pro-am player and content creator Deandre Raggs showing off his handles in front of a car with a custom Timberwolves NICE licence plate.
