Today, Reebok officially premiers CrateMaster, a narrative short film directed by Vice President of Creative Direction, Kerby Jean-Raymond, profiling grassroots inner-city basketball and the community of youth who build the game from the ground up. Anchored in Reebok heritage, the film carries forward the global sportswear brand’s new creative vision and narrative approach introduced by its recent video series, “Reconnect.”
Filmed in Brownsville, New York, adjacent to Jean-Raymond’s hometown of Flatbush, within the Brooklyn borough, CrateMaster fittingly casted area residents on screen, offering the community a stage to tell its story. The plot follows a day-in-the-life of neighborhood youth as they move about town engaging local characters, all-the-while planning the evening’s basketball tournament where the next CrateMaster will be crowned. The film was pre-screened on Tuesday evening at Brownsville’s Hilltop Playground – the set of the film – for an exclusive audience of local residents.
The film, which makes subtle nods to classic and forthcoming Reebok footwear, proves how creativity and passion for play can turn a city sidewalk, fence or alleyway into a gravitational force for community and competition – a place where underdogs can become champions.
Additionally, to further support Brownsville’s youth and the community casted in the film, Reebok will donate needed equipment and supplies to the Friends of Hilltop for the Hilltop Playground and recreation center.
CrateMaster underscores Jean-Raymond’s latest work for Reebok, however, the Pyer Moss founder has provided creative leadership across each of the brand’s design disciplines since joining as VP of Creative Direction in September, 2020. To start, he sought fellow creative, designer and now Reebok Artistic Marketing Director, Jide Osifeso.
Osifeso, who spearheaded “Reconnect” and the brand’s social relaunch this past June, has been building an internal creative agency to guide Reebok’s new identity.