In partnership with Nike, Recess developed a strategic framework, visual center, and a suite of creative content to disruptively launch the SNKRS App in a new market–Korea. The campaign approach was centered on building momentum and re-introducing the SNKRS brand to the sneakerheads of Korea as the best platform to access high heat product and meaningfully connect with and celebrate sneaker culture. 


Fashion

SNKRS APLA

Creative Concepting & Brand Ideas

Content Production

Go-To-Market Strategy

Media & Channel Strategy

Experience Programming & Management

Community Building

Design Systems Integration

SNKRS App Korea Launch

Working closely with Backbone, Recess managed the launch campaign, from ideation to final asset delivery. We centered the concept around "play anywhere" to showcase the mobile gaming controller in various settings. Filmed in Atlanta, we captured players using Backbone in diverse locations, including a park bench, a film set, a skate park and even during a skydive. Post-production involved rotoscoping, removing production equipment, screen replacements for phones, color enhancement, on-screen graphics design, music production, sound engineering and securing voiceover talent for the closing product screen.

Gaming

Tech

Backbone

Narrative Architecture/Story Frameworks

Creative Direction

Backbone Timberline Launch 

Recess partnered with Nike and UNKNWN to produce, design and manage the third annual Courtyard Classic by UNKNWN 

a cornerstone of Art Basel Miami. We took over UNKNWN's court with a Miami sunset-inspired gradient motif, and branded the tournament through retro streetball-inspired typography. The resulting moment was a high-energy celebration of the intersection of sport and culture.

Lifestyle

Sport

NBHD

Visual Identity Systems

Retail & Spatial Design

Campaign Toolkits

UNKNWN x Art Basel '22

To celebrate the arrival of Utopia the album, Travis Scott gifted kits to fans during their trip to Egypt that encouraged fans to discover their own utopia in a celebratory journey together. 

Entertainment 

Nike

Road to Utopia 

Recess was tasked with producing an episode of SNKRS "Behind the Design" for the highly-anticipated Spiderverse movie in collaboration with the Jordan team. Our team enlisted designers, directors and animators from Sony who had contributed to the film. Additionally, we assisted in creating campaign stills featuring Metro Boomin and his siblings, as he had contributed to the Spiderverse soundtrack.

Jordan

Campaign Development

Influencer Partnerships

Spiderverse - Behind the Design

Recess celebrated the release of the USWNT's World Cup jersey at Nordstrom with a campaign that showcased product as an emblem of change for female athletes across both sports and fashion. Recess developed the shoot concept and brought it to life in partnership with Nike and Nordstrom.

Nike Women 

Nordstrom World Cup '23

To celebrate the unique collaboration between Jordan Brand and Nina Chanel, Recess captured an editorial campaign that showcased the featured protagonists and highlighted their individuality and self expression. We developed an end-to-end creative direction to show the intersection of basketball culture, fine arts and equity for women.

Jordan x Nina Chanel 

Recess channeled the energy of Travis Scott's "Utopia" album through a Nike & Jordan Brand billboard to support its release. The billboard generated anticipation for the release while reflecting the cohesive identity of the album in its design and messaging. The 3D motion dropped clues about the launch to viewers to increase the anticipation for the launch.

Creative Positioning 

Travis Scott Utopia Billboard 

Recess brought the Union Dunk story to life from beginning to end. From naming the product to developing a narrative inspired by UNION's history and owner Chris Gibbs' global travels. The campaign was shot across LA, NYC and Tokyo. We also saw pieces of each city come to life in a pop-up shop designed and built by Recess where the product was first made available during New York Fashion Week. The pop-up also featured a 1:1 recreation of the OG Union storefront in Soho.

Union Dunk "Passport Pack"

During New York Fashion Week, Recess helped Nike and Jacquemus launch their first collection together at Two:Minds in NYC. We leveraged Jacquemus' design language to design and build a window display in Two:Minds' Meatpacking District location, and hosted an exclusive in-store shopping experience for the store's VIP customers.

Two:Minds x Jacquemus

In support of this highly anticipated sneaker release and Kasina’s 25th anniversary, Recess crafted and executed against a campaign framework for two new AM1 colorways that centered on the story of the traditional Won-Ang

duck figurines – typically gifted to newly-weds as wishes for a harmonious marriage – and anchored by the theme of togetherness and unity across all global sneaker communities.

Air Max 1: Kasina

Recess partnered with boutique retailer Bodega to create a campaign film to support the release of their NBA collection with Mitchel & Ness. The collection was made up of LA Lakers and Boston Celtics official jerseys, accompanying apparel and accessories. Drawing inspiration from the longstanding rivalry between the two franchises, Recess crafted a narrative around the rivalry between super fans from dueling cities. The film and supporting content recognized the differences between two super fans, while acknowledging that when they come together they discover they have more in common than you may think.

Bodega

Content Ecosystems

Bodega x NBA Collection

Recess concepted, designed & produced a high-end seeding experience for Apple TV+'s media partners & TV critics across the country as a way to promote Season 3 of Ted Lasso. Recipients were seeded  premium, branded product that included heart-warming touches inspired by show.

Apple TV+

Concept DevelopmentCreative Concepting & Brand Ideas

Strategic Development

Experience design

Experience Production

Ted Lasso Seeding Kit

Recess worked with several teams at Nike to create the pinnacle brand experience at Astroworld, a take down version that lived at Travis Scott’s store in Houston, and launch the Travis Scott Air Max 1, all while drawing a seamless connection between the spaces from the consumers’ perspective.

Packaging & Product Branding

Astroworld

In partnership with Nike, Jordan and Notre teams, Recess created connected launch experiences for limited collections and community programming for All Star Week 2020 in Chicago. The Unite collection was designed by 8 Chicago based creatives, and the space was inspired by Chicago's CTA transit lines as a way of uniting people. In a second space, we hosted a customization experience through the lens of Notre and our Unite creators.

Audience & Cultural Insights

Notre Unite 

Recess was tapped to launch the Kids Of Immigrants x Nike Air Max collection at Dover Street Market in London and Los Angeles. The install was inspired by the brand's founders' roots, environments and life experiences, and was thoughtfully designed to include elements of their childhood homes. The experience was amplified through augmented reality, bringing framed photos on the walls of the install to life.

Kids of Immigrants at Dover Street Market

In support of Epix’s hit show “Godfather of Harlem,” Recess designed and produced seeding kits to generate excitement for the show through press coverage prior to its premier. “Godfather of Harlem” told the story of infamous Harlem mob boss Bumpy Johnson, and the seeding kits leaned into key elements of his life. Johnson was a famously avid chess player, so the kit was hidden and delivered inside a functioning chess board. But given Johnson’s mob ties, accessing the contents of the kit would never be that easy.

EPIX

Godfather of Harlem

In celebration of the Air Force 1’s 40th anniversary, Recess partnered with Nike to build a year-long marketing campaign driven by a dedicated digital content series and activated by NBHD partners around the world. We crafted a global narrative, launch strategy and visual center to support the Color of the Month program–a monthly drop of the classic shoe in unique new colorways–celebrating the rich history and staying-power of the iconic Nike silhouette.

SNKRS

Performance & Optimization

Color of the Month

Recess partnered with Hat Club to create a super-mart retail experience for the release of their 3 snack-themed drops for Super Bowl LVII. We drove product storytelling and brought the collections to life through a pop up experience where consumers could shop the collections as "daily specials" among fan favorite snacks and beverages. We capitalized on Hat Club's local roots to create a personalized consumer experience for both Hat Club and Super Bowl fans, creating hype surrounding the product and increasing brand awareness with new consumers through a unique & engaging activation.

Hat Club

Hat Club Super Mart

For New York Fashion Week, Recess worked with Nike and AMBUSH to launch their collection of AF-1s and accompanying apparel, through an immersive experience at Kith Soho. Inspired by the concept of 'Techno Utility,' we designed and built a retail installation derived from an abstract utilitarian workshop, built at the intersection of fashion and sport.

AMBUSH x Kith 

Jordan asked Recess to ideate and produce a seeding program to complement their Flight Club membership program. Inspired by the original ‘91 Flight Club, Recess elevated the membership onboarding process with a flexible seeding solution to support ongoing high heat footwear releases. The result was a standardize delivery box built from sustainable materials with areas integrated into the packaging for seasonal updates and product storytelling.

'Elevated' Seeding Program 

To commemorate the highly-anticipated Courtyard Classic’s 4th Year Anniversary, Recess partnered with Nike to highlight basketball icons through a community-centered celebration during Art Basel. We collaborated with the Nike team and its partner, UNKNWN, to design and produce a high-energy friends & family basketball tournament celebrating Signature Athletes who have helped shape the game and their products.