Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young Pushes the Limits of 'Impossible'

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Trae Young's stand-out achievements and unconventional moves on the basketball court are celebrated in a new marketing campaign from Cartwright that introduces Young’s first signature shoe – the Trae Young 1 – from Adidas. The new work will launch in conjunction with the NBA season opener on October 21st, a face-off between Trae’s Atlanta Hawks and rival Dallas Mavericks. 

The cinematic ad opens with a mid-court flawless shot from Young as the voiceover talks about Trae’s record-breaking achievements starting as a young 13-year-old ‘hooper’ to his break-out, attention-getting performance with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 post-season playoffs. The riff on his many firsts – from the first player in history with a 48 point, 11 assist game in the conference finals, to the first to wear shorts to the Draft – takes the viewer on the fantastical journey of what Young has accomplished in his short time in the NBA and why he is so deserving of being called ‘the one.’

The campaign in support of the new shoes will appear on broadcast, online video, social and out of home. Cartwright shot both the video and still imagery at the same time in two different gyms. Directed by Anthony Mandler, the production used three different cameras to capture a wide range of moves and moods. In one scene in the commercial, Trae’s younger brother is seen in the film, demonstrating how Trae is inspiring the next generation of young players. 

In commenting on the new shoe, Trae Young said, “Adidas and I worked very closely on my first signature shoe and I’m hyped to finally let fans get a hold of them. When you wear these, you’re repping that ice-cold mentality and the entire City of Atlanta. This moment is really special as it’s a reminder to the next generation of hoopers that through hard work and focus you can achieve your dreams. Trae Young 1 is a symbol of that for me.”

Agency: Cartwright

CCO/Founder: Keith Cartwright 

HOP: Andrew Loevenguth 

CD: Nate Ripp

CD: Ben Bliss 

Producer: Nat Bricker

Director: Anthony Mandler

Music and Sound: BUTTER Music and Sound

EP: Annick Mayer

Sr. Producer: Stone Irr

CD/Composer: Max Schad

Sound Design: David Wolfe 

Mix: David Wolfe (Mr. Bronx)

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