Amusement Park Entertainment, Damian Lillard & JBL collaborate on Pro-Peace Martin Luther King Day Video
NBA All-Star guard, Damian Lillard (aka Dame D.O.L.L.A.) of the Portland Trail Blazers, LA-based Amusement Park Entertainment and their client JBL have collaborated on a pro-peace video featuring the song “Bigger Than Us.”.
The world premiere will take place tonight (18 January) for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, exclusively during the “NBA on TNT” 4-5pm PST doubleheader featuring the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers finishing up the double-bill.
“Bigger Than Us” is the followup to Lillard’s “Listen In Color,” a brand film from this past Christmas, that featured NBA MVP Seth Curry of the Golden State Warriors, in support of the launch of the JBL Pulse 2 portable Bluetooth speaker.
The new video transforms uses recent news clips and other imagery to deliver a powerful pro-peace message, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Footage of protesters on all sides of the racial divide combine with positive images, to provide the visual backdrop for the song.
“My song ‘Bigger Than Us’ is very special to me and now to debut the video on TNT; I feel extremely proud,” said Lillard. “I think everyone will find a way to relate to the song lyrics and video images of ‘Bigger Than Us’ in a positive and empowering way. My hope is that people are inspired.”
Advertising heavyweights Jimmy Smith, chief creative officer and chairman of Amusement Park, the sister agency of Amusement Park Entertainment and director Joe Pytka helped lead the effort and are encouraged about how the video will be received.
“We knew that we had something special when Dame recorded that song,” said Smith. “Following the wild success of ‘Listen in Color’ on Christmas, our goal was to create a video worthy of Dame’s bigger musical message – and then debut that message on an equally big stage. ‘NBA on TNT’ on MLK Day is that perfect positive storm.”
Amusement Park’s Brandt Weisman, the video’s lead editor and one of the directors added, “The footage that we see regularly on the news can get depressing, but when you pair it with Dame’s message, you realize there’s a solution that’s bigger than us – and possible if we can come together with a similar vision.”
A two-minute version of the video will premiere during the pregame show, “TNT NBA Tip-Off,” starting at 4pmPST and will be followed up with the full 5-minute version on the JBL Pulse website.