Create History Not Hype
Converse
Create History Not HypeApproach
We walked the talk with “Create History Not Hype,” as it took nearly a year of close partnership with Converse to bring an era-defining concept to life. The long-awaited relaunch of Converse Weapon took many forms over the months, but in the end, we created a campaign worthy of the storied silhouette and its rising star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Challenge
The original 1986 Weapon campaign featured two icons, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The iconic key visual had the two legends standing back-to-back, holding their respective team’s colorway like a gun with the tagline “Choose Your Weapon.” Great line and art direction for ‘86, not for 2024. For the relaunch, Converse needed an updated visual tone, nodding to the legacy ad, and new messaging that, at once, positioned the shoe and defined Shai’s narrative within the brand. Quite the needle to thread, but we live for this.
Solution
We aligned with Converse that we needed to own Weapon’s infamous start-stop history with tongue-in-cheek confidence. Where every other brand was looking for the latest thing and following the hype, Converse was boldly releasing a nearly forgotten shoe with a storied past grounded in O.G. basketball greatness. The line, “Create History Not Hype,” speaks to Shai and Converse’s shared mindset, challenging our audiences to bravely go against the grain to be truly unforgettable.
Before you scroll any further, go ahead and image search “Converse Weapon ad 1986.” One of the first hits should be the aforementioned Magic and Larry ad. Now, scroll down for our Shai version. It’s just referential enough, while giving a clear sense of Shai’s personality and effortless swagger. The product photography lives in the same gray gradient world with sub-copy that connects the creative concept, product and campaign hero.
Building on our success with the launch of the “Create History Not Hype” campaign, Converse deepened the partnership by tapping us to execute their brand activation in Indianapolis for the NBA All-Star Game. Our Industrial Design and Production teams joined forces to turn a parking lot outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse into the physical manifestation of our “Create History” world.
Industrial Design focused on the build-out itself, while Production traveled the country ahead of All-Star week to capture interviews on key artists we identified who exemplified the same shared, “history over hype” mindset as Shai and Converse. These artists were featured in the experience, itself, as well as in several short videos released on TikTok and Instagram Stories.
