LIMEY director Adam Cameron turns the tables on Lebron James in a new :60 “Audition” for American Signature, Inc.’s Home Court furniture brand out of Mullen, Winston Salem, NC. The spot features LeBron James auditioning for one tough kid—Nolan Gould from ABC’s Modern Family—for the opportunity to decorate the boy’s bedroom with James’ new line of children’s furniture. The campaign was shot in Miami, the athlete’s new home court city. The integrated campaign also includes five virals, “LeBron,” “Astronaut,” “Cowboy,” “Clown” and “CJ,” which will air on the furniture line’s website: http://www.homecourtbylebron.com.
Says Limey E.P. Andrew Denyer, “Working with LeBron was a great experience. All his work on film has made him a good actor, so we were able to achieve so much in a limited time. It’s tremendous fun shooting these mixed campaigns, the TV spots are great but we had the added bonus of shooting short web films almost on the fly. Letting the actors ad-lib and have fun is great for everyone involved.”
Director Adam Cameron enjoyed that the approach was not the typical high octane, flashy sports style of advertising that one might expect of James. He notes, “LeBron was very much part of the story and not just the star. We made the conscious decision to downplay that he was anyone famous at all.”
The spot opens with a mixed bag of characters including a firefighter, cowboy, superhero and matador all gathering in the hallways of a boy’s house to take part in his “Room-Theme Auditions.” We cut to Lebron James at the head of the line as he nervously rehearses his sales pitch, palming a basketball at his side. We then cut to various hopefuls in the audition room giving their best pitches as the tough boy coldly rejects their enthusiastic approaches. Next, we cut to inside the room with the 10-year-old and a buddy who yawn as an eager cowboy urges the boys to buy into his theme by saying, “I sweated in this boot. And now—it’s a lamp.” As he exits a more nervous James questions, “How’d it go, cowboy?” The dejected buckaroo answers, “Terrible,” as James makes his way into the room where he is immediately dwarfed in a toddler-sized chair. James makes comparably more ordinary suggestions and genuinely lights up when he suggests the finishing touch of, “A locker just like mine.” The still-serious boy tells James, “I sort of like that idea.” The spot closes with James’ voiceover stating, “There’s a new contender in kid’s furniture. Home Court by LeBron James,” accompanied by the Home Court logo to close out the spot.
About LIMEY
LA-based LIMEY uses a fresh approach to commercial production. They’re nimble, they’re collaborative and they’re transplanted from the UK (for the most part). With a diverse stable of TV, film and spot helmers, LIMEY can tackle any commercial project long or short.
With several decades of commercial production experience, rest assured LIMEY will always provide fresh work free of creative scurvy.
Credits
Client: American Signature, Inc
Title: “Audition” :60, “LeBron” 1:12, “Astronaut” 1:02, “Cowboy” 1:17, “Clown” :34, “CJ” :49
Airdate: Currently Airing
Production Company: LIMEY, LA
Director: Adam Cameron
DP: Giorgio Scali
EP: Andrew Denyer
Producer: Jay Shapiro
Advertising Agency: Mullen, Winston Salem, NC
EVP CD: Jason Black
GCD: Mark Fisher
Art Director: Brad Stephens
Copywriter: Adam Koehler
Agency Producer: Adina Birnbaum
Director of Integrated Production: Susanna Gates Rose
Director of Broadcast Business Affairs: Kelly Gudeth
Editorial Company: Number 6, New York, NY
Editor: Jason McDonald
EP: Toni Lipari
Asst. Editor: Steve Picano
Music: Mitch Davis & Scott Brittingham, Pull, NY
Final Color: Alex Bickel, Co3 NY
Online: Ed Skupean, No6 , NY
Mix: Keith Reynaud, Sound Lounge, NY
