Nike and Jordan Partner With Snapchat for Custom AR Lens at NBA All-Star Weekend

Photo credit: Nike

There are only 27 NBA All-Stars in Charlotte this weekend, but if you’re in town, your Snapchat friends don’t have to know that.

You can make them believe you’re No. 28.

As part of Nike and Jordan Brand’s “Own the Game” pop-up during NBA All-Star Weekend, Nike is partnering with Snapchat to allow fans to produce custom augmented reality art (“ARt”) lens. At the space at Charlotte’s Mint Museum Uptown, Snapchat is using Lens Studio, a free desktop app from Snap, stylized for All-Star Weekend with Nike and Jordan Brand accessories.

“This is the first time we’ve done this with even our organic community or even a brand,” says Shawn Dedeluk, creative strategy lead, Snap, Inc. “This is the first time we’ve allowed consumers to make augmented reality in this way. The software is available for anyone to download on their own, but we’ve never done an activation in person like this before, especially on this scale.”

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Lens Studio appears to be complicated at first glance, but the creative process is simple. Each AR custom creation in Charlotte starts by selecting one of four templates: Sunglasses, segmentation, hat, headband. Fans can then use All-Star designs, Nike and Jordan logos, phrases and quotes from Nike and Jordan All-Stars (Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walter, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Victor Oladipo) to personalize the lens. Background, borders and colors can also be adjusted.

Upon finishing, fans are given their own Snapcode to unlock the lens and share with friends. So, if you want to show your friends and family what they are missing out on, outside of Charlotte, let them use your custom lens.

The Snapcode can also be shared in the Snapchat Lens Studio community forum.

.@Snap’s Creative Strategy Lead Shawn Dedeluk explains how @Snapchat’s Lens Studio will allow fans to make custom AR filters at the @nikebasketball/ @Jumpman23 activation during #NBAAllStar. pic.twitter.com/vsOBlvxTsu

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) February 14, 2019

“For us, the world is mobile, and our consumer, that’s where they live,” says Sean Tresvant, vice president of global marketing, Jordan Brand. “When we’re trying to engage with our consumer, let’s meet them where they’re at when they’re on mobile. So we’re trying to give them a great experience, a great mobile experience where they can use augmented reality.

“We use [Snap’s] experts in the space. They know what works on their platform. Then you take what we’re experts at, our athletes and our brand assets. And when you look at some of the assets, whether it’s Russell Westbrook and his saying on why he owns the game, “Why not?” or Kemba Walker on how he owns the game, or someone like Giannis, it’s all fun and authentic to who they are as athletes versus us telling them what to do.”

Along with the custom lenses, Snapchat’s official Lens creators Alie Jackson, Ben Knutson and Shaun Lakey have created their own ARt pieces featuring a variety of Nike and Jordan Brand NBA All-Stars that can be found by accessing stickers and images around the activation (think, Pokemon Go AR). Nike and Snapchat have also created specific filters for the week.

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Snapchat has been using AR on its interface for a number of years now with its lenses, but putting the power into its users’ hands is new.

“We’ve really popularized AR on our platform,” Dedeluk says. “It was the first time most people at mass had seen augmented reality and it’s a core part of our experience. So it’s not anything that’s been added on. It was something that was a part of the experience for a really long time. I think it’s 70 percent of our users on any given day see or play with augmented reality on Snapchat. So it’s core to the experience. It’s something that people love on our platform, they come back for it. This is the first time we’ve been able to like get people hands-on, making their own AR, walking away with a lens that they made here, on-site.”

You can also get players in your snaps. pic.twitter.com/e6PhIRr0bj

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) February 14, 2019

On the Nike and Jordan side, Tresvant calls Snapchat a “natural” social partner, and the two brands continue to take steps together.

“I think we’re really pushing it out this year where it’s truly social, it’s truly unique and customizable,” Tresvant says. “And we’re pushing it out to communities. Last year, it was just a filter. Now, it’s all about customization and the fan or the community can do what they want and push it out.”

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Along with the Snapchat activation, Nike and Jordan Brand also have a half-court, vintage sneakers on display and various customization stations at the “Own the Game” pop-up. Nike Adapt BB, the first-ever power-lacing basketball sneaker, is available in the pop-up, as well as a series of other Nike and Jordan products at a retail hub.

Meanwhile, around the corner, a Nike SNKRS pop-up has been activated, similar to what the brand did at the Super Bowl in Atlanta. SNKRS members can use SNKRS Pass to reserve kicks for pickup, or SNKRS Reserve to request an appointment, or SNKRS Cam to unlock pairs of kicks on the fifth floor of “Own the Game.” SNKRS can also be expected to provide the unexpected, cycling through different pairs of sneakers, new and old, throughout the weekend.

“Own the Game” requires a free NikePlus membership to register and enter.

Be on the lookout for NBA All-Stars popping their own custom Snapchat filters as they come through the space this weekend.