What it is
LeBron James agreed to join the Lakers in July 2018. His first home game was on October 20, 2018 at Staples Center. Khounlavong had started in the Los Angeles seat the month before.
Nike marked the arrival across downtown. Billboards of James went up on office buildings and hotels. A rail station beside the arena carried his name for a day. A pop-up opened at LA Live, the plaza beside the arena, and a version of his shoe released in Lakers purple to Los Angeles only.
The pop-up and the purple shoe ran through House of Hoops, the retail venture of Foot Locker and Nike. The pop-up also carried Jordan Brand product. Jordan Brand is a separate business. Khounlavong did not oversee it, and his teams worked in concert with it.
What Khounlavong did
- Oversaw the teams that ran the city level activations for the arrival. The teams managed the work on the ground.
- Oversaw what Foot Locker and Nike Basketball delivered through House of Hoops.
- Worked in concert with Jordan Brand and Nike Basketball on launch drops in the city. The three businesses staggered their releases so they did not collide, built toward a crescendo around each sport or entertainment moment, and chose products that echoed and complemented one another without overshadowing.
What the teams delivered
- A takeover of LA Live for the home opener. The House of Hoops pop-up ran there on October 20 and 22, 2018, from 4 to 11 p.m., with Nike Basketball, Jordan Brand, Nike Sportswear, NBA apparel and customization.
- Product around the games. The LeBron 16 "King" released on October 18, 2018, the night of the season opener. The LeBron 16 "King Court Purple" released on October 20, 2018, in Los Angeles only.
- The purple shoe released through an app scavenger hunt across the city, in the Foot Locker app.
- Nike billboards outside the ESPN studios beside the arena by October 8, 2018, and on downtown office buildings and hotels.
- Pico Station, beside the arena, renamed LeBron Station for one day, with a full takeover of the 7th and Metro station.
Results
- The purple shoe was limited to a couple hundred pairs, and James wore it in his home debut.
- The station takeover reached more than 100,000 added viewers through television news and media coverage, as reported by the transit media company that ran it.
- Press described fans leaving the LA Live pop-up with boxes of shoes.
- No sell-through or sales figure is on record.
At a glance
| Project type | City activation for an athlete's arrival |
|---|---|
| Industry | Athletic and lifestyle footwear and apparel |
| Seat | General Manager, Nike Sportswear (Los Angeles) |
| Ran through | Nike |
| His part | Oversight. The city teams, Foot Locker and Nike Basketball managed the work on the ground |
| Worked with | Jordan Brand and Nike Basketball, in concert |
| Dates | October 8 to 22, 2018 |
| Location | Downtown Los Angeles, LA Live and Staples Center |
| Related pages | Jimmy Khounlavong, Nike Sportswear, Los Angeles |
| Principal | Jimmy Khounlavong |