TORONTO, ON (July 7, 2016) - Canada Basketball and SapientNitro have released “Sorry,” a PSA that celebrates 125 years of basketball in Canada. The spot marks the beginning of a relationship between the partners, one aimed at creating a national movement around the already red-hot basketball fever that has swept the country in recent years.
“Canada has a rich history of basketball, beginning with its creation 125 years ago by Dr. James Naismith – a Canadian,” said Michele O’Keefe, President & CEO, Canada Basketball. “As we continue to see the game and our athletes flourish, from the grassroots to the world stage, we’re excited to connect Canadians with Canada Basketball.”
The spot flips a Canadian stereotype on its head, spinning Canada’s tendency to politely over-apologize off the court into a playfully confident taunt on the court. The spot is littered with familiar faces and Canadian basketball powerhouses, including: Raptors Point Guard, Cory Joseph, 2x NBA MVP Steve Nash, 2015 2x Gold Medalists, Kia Nurse, Tamara Tatham and Miah-Marie Langlois, members of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Wheel Chair team; and recent NBA 7th overall draft pick Jamal Murray.
“We’re in the midst of a basketball moment in this country, so we really wanted to push Canada Basketball into the conversation and create a movement in a confident but quintessentially Canadian way,” said Chad Borlase, Creative Director at SapientNitro. “It was a great opportunity to do some pro bono work and shed some light on an organization that Canadians may not be aware of.”
SapientNitro partnered closely with production company OPC from the early going, tapping recent Gold Lion recipient Max Sherman as Director. Other production partners included Saints for editing, Alter Ego for post-production, Boombox for audio and Fort York for VFX. This project was also funded by the Government of Canada.
Watch the video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNVVPyN1pBo
“Canada has a rich history of basketball, beginning with its creation 125 years ago by Dr. James Naismith – a Canadian,” said Michele O’Keefe, President & CEO, Canada Basketball. “As we continue to see the game and our athletes flourish, from the grassroots to the world stage, we’re excited to connect Canadians with Canada Basketball.”
The spot flips a Canadian stereotype on its head, spinning Canada’s tendency to politely over-apologize off the court into a playfully confident taunt on the court. The spot is littered with familiar faces and Canadian basketball powerhouses, including: Raptors Point Guard, Cory Joseph, 2x NBA MVP Steve Nash, 2015 2x Gold Medalists, Kia Nurse, Tamara Tatham and Miah-Marie Langlois, members of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Wheel Chair team; and recent NBA 7th overall draft pick Jamal Murray.
“We’re in the midst of a basketball moment in this country, so we really wanted to push Canada Basketball into the conversation and create a movement in a confident but quintessentially Canadian way,” said Chad Borlase, Creative Director at SapientNitro. “It was a great opportunity to do some pro bono work and shed some light on an organization that Canadians may not be aware of.”
SapientNitro partnered closely with production company OPC from the early going, tapping recent Gold Lion recipient Max Sherman as Director. Other production partners included Saints for editing, Alter Ego for post-production, Boombox for audio and Fort York for VFX. This project was also funded by the Government of Canada.
Watch the video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNVVPyN1pBo