The Golden State Warriors are the two-time defending NBA champions, and their power from both past and present is on display in the team’s latest campaign.
With the start of the NBA season tomorrow (Oct. 16), the Warriors are giving a big nod to the players and coaches that came before this team, in a series of videos and out-of-home placements that blend current action with that from the earlier years in the Bay Area.
In ‘Game Recognize Game’, with the Warriors’ final season at Oracle Arena before moving to the new Chase Center arena in San Francisco, the campaign celebrates the franchise’s legacy in Oakland through novel pairings of Warriors players – old school and new – that have given fans reasons to cheer for 47 seasons.
Duncan Channon worked with the Warriors to mark the team's final season playing at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The campaign ‘Game Recognize Game’ is a dedicated campaign to recognize the famously loyal Bay Area fans who’ve supported the Warriors across five decades of history. ‘Game Recognize Game’ also winks at local fans who recognize the 1993 Bay Area rap anthem of the same name.
In several out-of-home executions, images of iconic Warriors across the decades are juxtaposed playing alongside today’s fan favorites, including Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala.
Two TV spots give viewers the thrill of a cross-generational Warriors game where past legends like Rick Barry and Baron Davis make plays and drain shots alongside Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. The Warriors’ long-time TV analyst Jim Barnett commentates.
The campaign will wrap Oracle Arena in advance of the Warriors vs Thunder season opener – with OOH appearing throughout the Bay Area. TV spots will air on CSN Bay Area and ABC. A second phase of OOH is planned that features actual Bay Area fans and spotlights the diverse neighborhoods that make up the team’s fanbase. To complement the creative campaign, the Warriors will also host in-arena activations to help fans celebrate memorable moments across five decades of Dubs.
Parker Channon, co-founder, Duncan Channon, said: “The 2018-19 Golden State Warriors could be one of the best squads to ever take the floor in the NBA, but the campaign reflects the idea that the defending champions know they were built on the backs of fifty years of Warrior teams running the floor in Oakland. They know that before the Splash Brothers, there was run TMC. And Manute and Sleepy and Rick Barry back in ‘75. All supported by a fan base that’s never left their side.”
He added: “The mutual respect between the Dubs and the fans is a big part of what resonates in the Game Recognize Game idea. Seeing a Warriors super team built across generations feels like the ultimate gift to the fans, and a natural fit for a team that routinely acknowledges the work and history that precedes their accomplishments today.”
Added Jennifer Kellogg, design director, Duncan Channon: “Bringing the Game Recognize Game idea to life visually using nearly 50 years of photography was a fun challenge. We were intentional about treating the photography to make players from different decades feel like they’re in the same world, on the same court. And, The Game Recognize Game type reflects off of itself to convey this sense of appreciation and interaction between the generations of players and fans.”