NIKE CELEBRATES THE BEAUTIFUL GAME WITH UNCONVENTIONAL FOOTBALL EXHIBITION IN CARLTON CENTRE21 meter high footballer made from 5.500 skills balls, weighing 4.75 tons, strung together by more than 10 kilometers of cable takes over the Carlton Centre Atrium in Johannesburg
JOHANNESBURG, (June 1st, 2010) – Nike unveiled its most iconic and unconventional football exhibition today, on display in the Atrium of the Carlton Centre mall in central Johannesburg, to celebrate the beautiful game of football.
The focal point of the exhibition is the Nike ball-man made up from 5,500 Brasil skills balls, strung together by over 10 kilometers of cable wire, and suspended from the ceiling of the landmark Carlton Centre. The 21 meter high installation, weighing in at 4.75 tons, is a world first for the leading football brand.
“The leaping Nike ball-man is complexity made simple. The concept was developed from using a 3-D image of an athlete and then mathematically aligning each of the 5,500 skills balls to create this spectacle,” said Andy Walker, Global Creative Director of Football, Nike.
“The brief from the South African team 18 months ago was to create something impactful that brings Nike’s vision of inspiration and innovation to life. We’ve delivered beyond that brief, as this exhibition which we have created, transcends into a world first for Nike in terms of scale and impact.”
Imbued in a football culture, the installation took a full three weeks to put up, and also includes the Atrium space beneath the suspended Ball-man featuring state of the art display units.
Nike has displayed its lightweight performance team kit, made of 100% recycled polyester, of every Nike sponsored team taking part in the football tournament starting next week.
The nine Nike-sponsored teams include Brasil, Holland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, United States, Australia, New Zealand and Korea Republic.
Nike’s four-silo lightweight boots from the recently launched Elite Series range are displayed as one meter, three-dimensional boots, ‘floating’ on stands to depict the lightweight innovations.“Nike believes in connecting with its consumers on all levels and providing them with an experience that remains premium and innovative. Not only is Nike celebrating the beautiful game with this revolutionary exhibition, but we are also energizing this epicenter of Johannesburg,” said Mzamo Masito, Brand Director, Nike South Africa.
“The design process ensured that the balls can be taken down and distributed to the community after the exhibition closes in August. There will also be exciting elements added to the exhibition in the upcoming weeks, making this a very interactive and engaging exhibition.”
The Nike Ball-man exhibition will run until August.
All related merchandise is currently available at the Nike Store in the Carlton Centre.
