The Harlem-born entertainer and athlete draws from his time in LA and NYC to give fresh perspective to classic Nike silhouettes and graphics.
Source: Sheck Wes Curates the Inaugural NYC Editions Collection
I don’t know if it’s that I watched way too much Chappelle Show, but doesn’t the above pic of Sheck look like Dave doing Ms. Cleo on the Educated Guess skit? I understand that the image captures Sheck in a bodega and that Sheck Wes fits the bill of athlete/entertainer that Nike is looking for, and he also moved from NY to LA so this connection for Nike looks like it fits… but let’s be honest, Nike could have dropped this pack without Sheck Wes. An East vs West pack has a built in connection to basketball via the All Star Game and NBA Finals format. Nike however had to do two things, remove the stigma that they were trying to capitalize on the era that brought down two of raps biggest acts and they had to execute “Plan Petty”.
Nike is doing what they always do, Nike is executing “plan petty”. Nike doesn’t need or want Sheck Wes. What Nike does know is Under Armour signed Mo Bamba. Sheck Wes’ anthem was an unofficial celebration of his homeboy and by default a calling card for Under Armour. Now, Under Armour is hella slow and stupid in marketing (I can’t write that in a nicer way). They should have featured Mo and Sheck in a video because any advertising they can get is good because they don’t do any advertising; although they have a new basketball model Bamba is wearing. Nike saw the launch of a new shoe by UA and in typical Nike fashion they undercut any potential opportunity for UA to feature a spot with Mo and Sheck walking around Harlem discussing kicks and growing up in NYC. This becomes painfully evident when you look at the marketing shots of Sheck Wes by Nike and the shots from Under Armour:
Sheck Wes’ song “Mo Bamba” just went platinum. He’s hot right now. Under Armour signed Mo Bamba at the start of the NBA season. Nike actually has more imagery of Sheck with his arms extended in the same fashion as Mo Bamba in his Under Armour shoot… if that ain’t petty –
The idea of capturing Sheck in all black with the NYC Skyline is not a coincidence at all. If Nike produces any video content the song will probably be included. Where UA once had a shot at aligning the two Harlemites, that opportunity is gone.
No one at Under Armour even considered taking the time and effort to align Mo with Sheck in a marketing video on Harlem and basketball? No one? Instead Nike swoops in for a pack that was already planned, but was moved around because the culture saw Nike as culture vultures bringing back an era of Hip-Hop that is the source of a lot of pain. Nike killed two birds with one stone and just gave 50 Cent a run for his petty.