Chalk this up to yet another great use of a superstar athlete in a Nike commercial as Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James is seen going through his basketball courtside pre-game ritual, putting a chalky like talcum powder on his hands, then raising them skyward and clapping them together to create a powdery puff of fairy dust-like magic which thrills the fans.
But for this spot, James isn’t the only one chalking up as we see fans from all walks of life performing their version of the hands-on act. We see a barber clapping powder about with a puff of it descending on a customer perched before him on a barber shop chair. A baker sprinkles powder over donuts. Basketball playing youngsters–a boy and a girl–separately chalk up for a big game. A lad in a schoolroom collects chalk residue from the chalkboard and does his LeBron thing in class as students seated at their desks look on and enjoy.
These folks’ chalk rituals play like a celebration of James’ play as we see him dramatically dunk the ball in a game. As James gets back on defense, he claps his hands, creating more chalk-filled air to the delight of arena fans. Supered on screen is the website address nikebasketball.com.
“The Chalk” was directed in glorious black and white by Mark Romanek of bicoastal Anonymous Content for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland.
The W+K ensemble included creative directors Alberto Ponte, Tyler Whisnand and Jeff Williams, copywriter Caleb Jensen, art director Taylor Twist, exec creative directors Mark Fitzloff and Susan Hoffman and producer Erika Madison.
The DP was Adam Kimmel.
Editor was Robert Duffy of bicoastal Spot Welders.
VFX supervisors were Brad Parker and Vernon Wilbert of Digital Domain, Venice, Calif.
Action unfolded to the musical accompaniment of the song “Candyman” by Cornershop.
Director Hans Emanuel Joins Caviar For Commercials and Music Videos
Production company Caviar has signed director Hans Emanuel for U.S. commercial and music video representation. The film and advertising director fuses his keen--and Berlinale Film Festival Award-winning--eye for cinematic storytelling with a commercial background across multiple genres including beauty, automotive, dance, and visual effects-heavy projects, to produce creative for clients like Kia, Nivea, Nissan, L’Oreal, BMW and more.
Caviar executive producer Salim El Arja noted, “Hans has a unique ability to blend stunning visuals with heart and humor, rooted in his confidence as a craftsman. This allows him to focus on drawing exceptional performances from actors--including celebrities--and crafting films that are not only visually striking but also deeply engaging and often hilariously comedic. His sensibilities align perfectly with Caviar’s vision, and we’re excited to collaborate with him on work that pushes creative boundaries.”
Emanuel added, “Caviar is a renowned name, certainly since I began my career. They have a solid reputation for quality work, and I’ve always respected them as a company. Life is about where destiny makes you flow with the people you need; thanks to a series of projects, I was introduced to Florence Jacob with Caviar Paris first, and the rest is history. I feel they can support my career growth with their comedic expertise and filmmaking prowess.”
Prior to joining Caviar, Emanuel had been repped by production house Stadium. He was born and raised in Santa Monica, Calif., to a Mexican-German mother, benefiting from a culturally diversified upbringing that carried through his education interests. Knowing he wanted to be a filmmaker from the start, he began his career in the luxury and beauty field,... Read More