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Video Production by Kate Burkett
Gold ADDY – District Level, American Advertising Federation, 2022
Gold ADDY – Regional Level, American Advertising Federation Oklahoma, 2022
Background
For the 75th Anniversary of the NBA and the 2021–2022 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder unveiled a City Edition uniform. The design featured elements from Thunder uniform history, serving as a visual culmination of the team’s history.
City House was an exclusive and immersive event in the heart of Oklahoma City where the uniform was first unveiled.
The event leveraged influencer marketing to create intrigue and excitement around the uniform through organically generated content. Without Thunder produced amplification, influencers took their followers through their own journey of the night.
Role
As the Lead Graphic Designer, I was involved at every level of the process and collaborated with other team members and departments within the organization. My primary role was designing the identity system, establishing the strategy and content for each room, and executing all print and spatial applications.
Additionally, I articulated strategy through pitch decks, presented concepts to Directors and VPs, storyboarded animations, met with vendors, assisted in planning and setup, and worked the live event.
Identity System
City House offered an opportunity for elasticity within the Thunder brand. This was an exclusive, one night only event and the goal was to create a mark that holistically encompassed the experience.
The visual identity connected the location, the NBA’s milestone, and the culmination of Thunder history through the interaction of shape, prisms, and light and color.
I created a custom ‘CITY’ mark for each era represented in the City Edition uniform and then sketched storyboards for animations within the main space and the four reveal rooms. I worked with Sharvil Salve who brought them to life with 3D animation.
Animation by Sharvil Salve
Process
How do we build anticipation and tell the story and deliver impact over the course of the experience?
The event was designed to walk guests through each element of the uniform with audio, visual, and culinary cues. Gallery style rooms, paired with a curated plate and beverage, were unlocked as the night progressed. Each of these correlated with an era represented in the uniform — from our foundation through our evolution to our hype to the final reveal.
The goal was to create a space that had visual and emotional impact for the guests in person and the content capture for their audiences on social media.
This was the question that guided the concept of opening the main space of the house and revealing four unique rooms throughout the night. As each room is opened one at a time, guests would immerse themselves in those brand moments in team history.
At the end of the night, the final room opened to reveal the City Edition jersey. It was important to establish the narrative of each of the jerseys in team history that came together in that final reveal.
Photography by Jimmy Do