In 2022, high school basketball player Bronny James signed an NIL deal with Beats by Dre, following the footsteps of his dad, LeBron James, who was the first athlete to sign with the brand back in 2008. Beats approached us to create a film that introduced Bronny as part of the Beats roster, highlighting their flagship products, Beats Fit Pro and Beats Studio Buds.
With twenty seasons in the NBA, LeBron James is a living legend. As his son Bronny, a senior at Sierra Canyon High School, is himself on track to play for the NBA. We were inspired by LeBron James’s determination to stay in the league until he’s able to play with Bronny and wanted to show two generations of unbelievable athletes in a way that people never get to see.
Our film, "King of the Court,” saw two basketball phenoms pit themselves against each other in a backyard battle. With music being such an integral part of Beats' identity, we decided to contrast Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” for LeBron, who loves classical music, along with a new rap track from Bronny's favorite artist, Sofaygo. The two genres of music symbolized the much-revered “King James” (as LeBron is often referred to) and his passing of the torch to the next generation, his son. Whoever made the shot, got their music playing in the film. We seamlessly cut between the two vastly different songs in a showdown between father and son on the backyard court at home
With their specific music choices, we also wanted to highlight a generational gap of sorts – LeBron being the master of the game, using the works of another master to focus his energy, while Bronny used his raw, youthful athleticism, coupled with modern rap to show his moves off.
In the film, we decided to see them listening to their own music on their Beats headphones, while using the spirited back-and-forth on the court to help switch the music. As they engage in this battle for the proverbial AUX cord, we see them hitting shots to command the music to their track.
We launched the film during the season opener game for the Lakers, which also marked another milestone – the beginning of LeBron's 20th year in the league. Our audience immediately engaged with the spot, with a wide variety of chatter about how relatable the film was for parents and their kids, as well as LeBron and Bronny's easygoing chemistry.
The film sparked buzz across platforms, with users and unpaid celebrities like DJ Khaled chiming in on LeBron and Bronny's shared athletic prowess. “King of the Court '' received over 17 million views and 204,019,107 impressions, and helped cement Bronny James as an athlete who has come into his own.
