The Proov: Feel The Heat

"If arrogance is a blessing, a holy city we got"

On May 31, 2000, the special single of The Proov, Feel The Heat (Welcome To Masterdam), was released by CMC/Soul Relation and LUBE. The sound of earlier releases by The Proov got the attention of the sport brand Nike. The sports brand, named after the Greek goddess of victory, motivated the band to make a special song about street football. It resulted into the phat and jazzy track 'Feel The Heat' which Nike used in their campaign 'Welcome To Masterdam'. The single features three remixes. The Ill Cuzzin's is the most outstanding. The other two are done by DJ Precise and Blue Monks. On this single it's the first time that we can hear guest MC Raphael da Cruz.

"I'm so fast I can assist myself"

They sing about the local street heroes that ruled the city courts. The fun and arty video is one of the most expensive HipHop clips ever made in the Lowlands. Nick Gordon, who also worked with Supergrass and Roni Size, made a 2D presentation of the images in a 3D setting of Amsterdam. Meaning that the images are like to been cut out of paper and placed in a setting of other cardboard images. If you can't follow it, buy the single it includes an MPEG of the video.

"Only one solution, ball hits the wall, it's the perfect execution."

The connection with the marketing team of Nike, made it possible that the national team football players Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Dries Bousatta dropped by to feature in the video as the professionals who dwelled on the same city courts. Through the city, Nike posted posters and postcards in the same style featuring lyrics of the song. On the public transport information-boards, Nike bought special space to put a map of Amsterdam with enlargements of the five most famous football squares in Amsterdam, renamed and sponsored by Nike. Next to that you could find everywhere the Amsterdam City symbol (three crosses: XXX) with and the brand's logo sprayed on the sidewalks. Nike doing graffiti ?

Code of the streets

The music is dope as we may expect to hear from the skilled artists. What is more remarkable, is that the special campaign brakes one of the basic rules of advertising and the Nike company policy. Do not use two different styles at the same time, to portrait and to empower the same brand. The overall campaign is very different than the national campaign of Nike. By doing this, it has an inverted result in the success of getting the message across. Next to it, the style of the video clip and posters is very arty and phat but does not jump out to get the attention (like the international TV commercials do) of their main Nike customers, the youngsters of the Zap Generation. From a marketing perspective the idea was perfect only the way they did it lacks any marketing sense.

The most remarkable fact: the policy of Nike is not and really not to get any involvement with artists and the music bizz. Definitely HipHop artists. Meaning they do not want to get involved with artists empowering the brand in ads or commercials. Like Michael Jackson was used by Pepsi. The Nike policy is only to get involved with sportsmen and sportswomen to empower the image of the brand. And with them in the ads, advertising in the media, including the music media. Now, The Proov's lyricist are artist, are HipHop artists, but since when is HipHop a sport?

AQ

 

CMC/Soul Relation
Postbus 2636
2002 RC
Haarlem 
The Netherlands
phone: 023-5472014/06-54215387 
fax: 023-5472016