Nike X Footlocker House of Hoops

Client: Nike X Footlocker House of Hoops store launch and retail campaign

Scope: Branding, design, social campaign, OOH, website

How do you win over sneakerheads — the crowd that lives and breathes authenticity, and convince them the new Foot Locker House of Hoops store deserves a place in the culture.

01 Approach

For the launch, we went back to the source material: the shoes themselves. Eight original kicks inspired eight distinct creative sets, each shaped by the personality and legacy of a specific release. The AJ Neon Spizike to celebrate Black History Month, the patent leather AJ 11 Bred’s, the Barkley Posite Max Area 72’s and the AJ 1 OG retro highs to name a few. Each became a visual world with its own tone, texture and narrative.

02 The 8

To build excitement for the release of The 8, we empowered eight sports and culture ambassadors to lead the campaign. Over eight consecutive days, each creator took over the narrative, challenging their followers from their own channels to prove their sneakerhead creds by posting shots of their sneaker collections.

They dropped custom visuals, hosted daily submission calls, and crowned winners from their communities, effectively turning their personal platforms into the campaign's main stage.

This approach cultivated authentic connections and transformed the launch into a cultural moment.

Close-up of the Nike Air Jordan 11 Retro sneakers, known as 'The 8' in black, red, and white colors, displayed against a black background with black droplets and red ribbons.
A young man wearing sunglasses, a black t-shirt, black leather pants, and sneakers standing in a narrow alleyway with brick walls and overhead electrical wires.
Multiple smartphones displaying different colorful sneaker designs, arranged on a dark surface.
A Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG sneaker in black and blue colorway displayed against a blue and black background with branding and design elements.
Young man standing on an outdoor basketball court with a chain-link fence in the background, wearing a denim jacket, patterned shirt, cargo pants, and Nike sneakers.
Street mural with four posters promoting Nike sneakers, featuring a space-themed sneaker design and the text 'THE 8, 8 DAYS, 8 DROPS, WHAT'S NEXT?' on a textured brick wall.
Close-up of a black and green Nike Air Jordan sneakers with a black background featuring green and purple design elements and the Nike Jumpman logo.
Laptop on an outdoor basketball court displaying a poster of various Nike Air Jordan sneakers.
Laptop on outdoor court with Nike and THE 8 branding and images of sneakers and models on screen.
A Nike sneaker with a black and white pattern, red and blue accents, and a high-top design floating in a space-themed background with planets, stars, and qualifying graphics.
Close-up of a metal pole with a worn sticker that says 'NIKE THE 8,' held by a person with hands visible on either side, city street at night in background.
A young woman wearing Nike LeBron Christmas sneakers crouching on a rooftop with a city skyline at night in the background,
A pair of red Nike LeBron Christmas sneakers with green laces floating above a wet surface at night, reflecting city lights and a city skyline with tall buildings and a lit CN tower in the background.

The LBJ experience

A lucky group of kids from the Harbourfront Community Centre got to witness greatness first hand when The King himself made a surprise appearance at the HOH store opening.

Photo: Sean Go

“The biggest advice I can give to kids is , when you put the time in, hard work pays off — and it will pay off.”

- LeBron James, covered by Complex

Results

  • 8 sports & culture creators engaged

  • 1.2 million reached on social media

  • All Ltd edition sneakers sold out

  • Surprise appearance by LeBron James at the HOH store opening