3. The core objective:
inspire youth around the world with a new product line that effortlessly
bridges street style, catwalk fashion & sports performance;
and associate H&M with being the pioneering brand that feels most
fitting for this movement.
5. style-conscious, bold, opinionated 18-24 olds who
are popular within their social circles — and their
counterparts who want to be more like them.
they tend to be more inspired by the arts (fashion,
music, art, film) — but can also be interested in
streetwear and cheer for a favourite basketball team
7. Common & important traits shared between basketball and fashion:
agility
elegance
poise
style
presence
8. Many 18-24 year olds are trying to find out who they are and feel a strong need for
self-expression.
A bold or ‘quirky’ fashion sense is a commonly used outlet to express themselves.
In recent years, social networks with a strong visual focus have gained a lot of traction,
such as Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and even for Facebook, photos were always a
crucial part of its product.
Since this age group tends to be very active on social networks, this “visual-focus”
trend has an effect on them that is impossible to quantify
11. Wait a sec...what does ‘baller’ actually mean to people?
ball· er
[bawl-er]
1. One who exhibits a consistent proficency at-, or exuberant love for the game of
basketball.
2. One whose person has been fully and successfully established in numerous social circles
(esp. one who is extremely popular with both the male and female members of any given
social group)
3. One whose status in society has been earned by one's possession of "game" (that is,
proficiency at the game of life)
12. ok fine, but why should H&M care about what ‘baller’
means?
ball· er
[bawl-er]
1. One who exhibits a consistent proficiency at-, or exuberant love for the game of basketball.
→ it speaks directly and more importantly, passionately, about the new product line we are launching
2. One whose person has been fully and successfully established in numerous social circles
(esp. one who is extremely popular with both the male and female members of any given
social group)
→ it relates with the audience we are trying to reach, as well as their aspirations (and/or insecurities)
3. One whose status in society has been earned by one's possession of "game" (that is,
proficiency at the game of life)
→ it suggests the tone of voice we should use in our communications
14. by simply adding the word ‘be’,
the audience adopts the phrase for themselves.
it becomes part of their inner voice.
it becomes a motto to aspire to and live by.
15. and last but not least, “Be Baller” is an obvious pun on the
popular basketball slang term ‘b-ball’, which reinforces the tie
between the product, sport, and the meaning behind the phrase.
16. Be Baller is how anyone can feel 'baller'.
Feeling an sense of cool, style, and - most importantly - confidence that comes from within.
That sense of confidence that arises within yourself as soon you tie up your laces
every morning and walk out the door.
It can be channeled as having street presence, court presence, or stage presence.
Having swagger.
18. route 1
online video (youtube/youku/vimeo)
and/or TV (e.g. during NBA game breaks)
creative ideas:
- use of sound: dribbling a basketball, versus
the paced sound of models walking on a runway
visually they are synchronised in action split-screen, side by side
the sounds can pick up the pace quickly for dramatic effect
ends with "Who's more baller?"
- viewers directed to beballer.com and use #beballer when
they vote in real-time on twitter/weibo/facebook/google+
19. route 2
live event:
- during the break of a live game (could be NBA or collegiate
depending on the region and season) have H&M models do a
surprise catwalk show on the court in streetwear
- instead of showing traditional ads during the break, this could be
livestreamed on tv or youtube/youku/livestream/facebook
- ends with "Who's most baller?" use #beballer when viewers vote in
real-time on twitter/weibo/facebook/google+
20. route 3
interactive (native mobile app/web/facebook app)
1. upload a shot of your side or front profile
2. enter your height
3. choose your background (street court / catwalk show / graffiti-covered
street)
4. save as an animated GIF (dunking / strutting / walking) or a compelling still
shot
5. post to instagram/twitter/weibo/facebook/google+ with the tag #beballer
22. 1. Besides the look and feel of the shoe, what are the other main selling
points of the product?
2. Why basketball?
3. Which market(s) do you consider most important in 2013?
4. What are the key performance indicators for this?
5. Would you be interested in developing in-shoe technology?
