Comedian Tracy Morgan, who’s making a comeback after incurring serious injuries in a devastating traffic accident, stars in this two-spot package from BBDO New York celebrating Foot Locker’s fourth annual “Week of Greatness” featuring premium releases from such brands as Nike, adidas, Jordan, Under Armour, New Balance and ASICS. Morgan’s own return to greatness dovetails nicely with Foot Locker’s “Week of Greatness”
Jim Jenkins of O Positive directed both commercials, including “Greatness in Common” in which Morgan compares what his return to greatness has in common with the return of the “Week of Greatness.” The spot features a birthday surprise for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Credits
Client Foot Locker Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Greg Hahn, chief creative officer, NY; Chris Beresford-Hill, Dan Lucey, executive creative directors; Austin Mankey, sr. art director; Mike Motch, sr. copywriter; Tricia Lentini, executive producer; Amy Orgel, project manager. Production O Positive Films Jim Jenkins, director; Ralph Laucella, exec producer; Marc Grill, producer; Bob Gantz, DP. Editorial No. 6 Editorial Jason MacDonald, editor; Corina Dennison, exec producer; Malia Rose, post producer. Audio Heard City Philip Loeb, mixer.
Dancer turned director Ezra Hurwitz collaborates with Ailey II artistic director Francesca Harper, featuring movement as museum pieces against the Whitney Museum of American Art’s striking architecture for this short film titled Echoes of Ailey. Commissioned to celebrate “Edges of Ailey” at the Whitney Museum, the film accompanies the first large-scale exhibition on the life and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. “Edges of Ailey” is currently on view at the Whitney until February 9.
Animating iconic images from Alvin Ailey’s 20th-century repertory, the film expands on the exhibition by constructing a visual narrative around his storytelling and influences. Set to Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place,” dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School capture the emotional core of the company’s history--physically situating Ailey’s masterworks amongst the Whitney’s collection.
“As a child, my grandmother took me to Ailey’s Revelations once a year,” said Hurwitz. “No matter how often I saw it, the work captivated me. There isn’t one specific thing I hope viewers take away from the film--or one way to interpret its images. It’s meant to be an abstract work, like Ailey’s creations.”
Turning to his archive, Hurwitz and Harper illuminate key sequences symbolic of Ailey’s profound legacy, closing on an uninterrupted sequence from "I’ve Been Buked," the opening movement of Ailey’s legendary "Revelations." Carrying a watershed moment back to its own medium, Echoes of Ailey captures the multigenerational impact of Ailey’s work, continued by his organization. The short film first premiered on Nowness.
