Who Is Wieden & Kennedy Anyway

Another television advertisement for basketball shoes with classical music and religion. Instead of a Hip Hop version of the Dies Irae, this one uses music by Mozart. The Lacrimosa from his Requiem.

You can watch the commercial here.
You can read about it here.
Read more here.

Here is the "Money Shot".


The ad is real noir. A dark story of crushing defeat as the home team loses by one point in the last second because an opponent is wearing better shoes. Life is like that, huh?

Here are the words to Lacrimosa

Tearful that day,
on which will rise from ashes
guilty man for judgement.
So have mercy, O God, on this person.
Compassionate Lord Jesus,
grant them rest. Amen.

Read about the Lacrimosa at Wikipedia.

Here is my previous post about selling basketball shoes with liturgical music. This post has gotten (and will get) more hits than any other Mixed Meters article - from now until eternity (or whenever Nike stops running the Second Coming commercial.)

Both commercials were produced by the same ad agency - Wieden & Kennedy of Portland Oregon. Here's their website.

Apparently Wieden & Kennedy are eager to teach their methods. Tuition for one year is $15,000. Click here then click on the jangling keys.


Meanwhile, Mozart's music continues to inspire musicians of all species. Here's a video of a bird with some interesting ideas about motivic development.

Shoe Sale Tags: Nike. . . basketball. . . television commercial. . . advertising. . . Michael Jordan. . . XX2. . . basketball game. . . athletic shoes. . . Lacrimosa. . . Mozart. . .Wieden and Kennedy. . . dunk

A picture of a Mozart shoe.
I found out about this commercial via The Rest is Noise. (Actually, in music, a "rest" is silence.)