After their NBA sponsorship concluded in 2018, JBL was looking to stay connected to the league. With an impressive brand ambassador roster featuring several NBA stars, JBL enlisted us to create video content that would live across the 2018-19 season and insert JBL into the cultural conversation around sports and music. But, rather than simply recontextualizing our ambassadors' on-court prowess, we opted for a more compelling lifestyle angle that focused on showcasing their personalities through the lens of music.

No matter where an NBA player is from, their adopted city becomes a part of their DNA. Every day, they carry the cultural nuances of their hometown and adopted city on and off the court. So, we decided to bring those stories to life through music and sound.

In Sounds of the City, we paired NBA stars with renowned music producers to craft original anthem tracks inspired by the player, and the city’s culture. Together, they shared their sonic influences, and captured the sounds of that city – showcasing the transportive power of sound, and how it amplifies life’s biggest moments. Through Sound of the City, we gave NBA fans a window into the hearts of their heroes, and offered captivating original content that celebrates sport, and culture.

Sound plays a defining role in our lives, adding color to our world, and giving us memories that shape our identity. It is a universal experience that transports us, and triggers emotions. Few people understand the impact of sound more than NBA players. From the music they listen to preparing before a game, to the roar of the crowd after a hard-fought victory, sound amplifies their journey every step of the way. This is true for the hundreds of elite NBA players who hail from all over the world. But, whether their hometown is across state lines, or across oceans, the city they play for becomes their home, bringing a new set of cultures, and sound, that influences who they are on and off the court.

Sounds of the City consists of three episodes released between November 2018 and February 2019. In each episode, we paired an NBA player with a renowned music producer to create an original anthem inspired by the player, and the city’s cultural nuances. Together, they shared their love for the city and unpacked how the city shaped them. After their interaction, the music producer crafted an original track that was then revealed to the NBA player for the first time, in an intimate space surrounded by fans. The films lived digitally on the social channels of JBL, our players, and producers, as well as through editorial partnerships with Complex and Genius, to make sure we reached our desired audience.

JBL proved that you do not need a league sponsorship to capture the attention of NBA fans. The Milwaukee, Detroit, and Charlotte episodes garnered 135 million impressions, 26 million video views, and drove 2 million social engagements across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The content provided fans with a glimpse into the lesser-known side of their favorite athletes, introduced them to artists behind some of their favorite songs, and allowed JBL to forge a deeper connection with NBA fans using a core component of their brand DNA – sound.