ADIDAS x AE1
We turned a killer campaign into a crime scene.
For the NBA Playoffs, adidas Basketball asked us to bring Anthony Edwards’ “Man Down” campaign off the screen, into the atrium of the Target Center. The cinematic SVU whodunnit energy of the spot became a fully immersive crime scene, complete with shattered backboards, planted evidence, and a dunk reenactment moment that put fans directly in Ant’s shoes.
Opportunity
With the Target Center buzzing during Game 3 of the Timberwolves’ playoff series, there was a prime opportunity to engage fans directly and deepen their connection to both the athlete and the brand. The challenge was to translate the “Man Down” narrative into a tangible, on-site experience that would captivate attendees.
Insight
Basketball has always had a little mystery in it. The sleight of hand. The misdirection. The ankle-breakers that leave defenders chalk-outlined on the court. The “Man Down” campaign tapped into that energy, framing Ant’s dunk as a mysterious crime that happened so fast there’s no clear suspect. But the real insight is that people don’t just like watching a mystery; they like solving it. So, we gave them the chance to crack the case.
Approach
We turned the concourse into a scene from “Man Down.” Shattered glass. Evidence boards. Size-run footwear displays disguised as evidence displays. CCTV monitors looping film. And a dunk zone set up for fans to reenact the moment that started it all.
Every detail fed the fiction: Evidence markers pointed to destroyed sneakers, a handprint on the floor, and a backboard that had clearly seen better days. Ice-T made an in-character appearance. Even the T-wolves mascot Crunch got in on the crime.
Fans could lace up AE1s, reenact the dunk, and walk away with a posterized shot of themselves mid-crime. If you bought a pair, you’d leave with it sealed in a custom evidence bag.
Result
The activation sparked instant buzz, from sneaker blogs to sports outlets to fans posting their own “crime scene” reenactments. Press picked it up before the game was even over. Social feeds
lit up with dunk posters, Ice-T selfies, and AE 1 unboxings.
lit up with dunk posters, Ice-T selfies, and AE 1 unboxings.
All the kicks disappeared. Photos dropped. The scene blew up. No one left without leaving a trace.
The AE 1 “Man Down” activation became the most talked-about moment outside the game itself—proof that when the story’s good enough, people don’t just show up, they show out.
Believe that.
