Multi-hyphenate Beija Velez came to us with a whirlwind of ideas for a basketball collaboration, but in our lenthy discovery call, we discovered she hadn’t always been as certain of her directions. At a pivotal crossroads in her life, a longtime friend told her before he passed away:

“Basketball is the answer” -Patrick Sanabria

A lightbulb went off and we all knew the direction the ball needed to go. It would be a celebration of all she needed to go through to become who she is.

Listed as one of the most influential sneakers of all time by Complex Magazine, it was time for a relaunch. In collaboration with Bata, we designed a limited edition basketball to celebrate our reignited partnership with Bata and the life of the “Wizard of Westwood”, John Wooden.

A white paneled basketball was conceptualized to denote a textured, blank canvas made of basketball leather, an invitation to create, express, and perform. Additionally the palette choice highlights and aesthetically mirrors the clean white detailing of the original shoes.

B1977 appears on the ball below Wooden’s signature to honor the year of the original shoe release.

Our marketing campaign culminated with a much-hyped exclusive launch party at retailer Opening Ceremony after months of teasers were deployed in cities around the world and on our social channels. What better to use than the many quotes of Wooden himself, spreading motivation to people around the world and building mystique for the unveiling.