Something strange happened with Stephen Curry this season—well, stranger than his usual otherworldly feats. The real-life Stephen Curry started playing so ridiculously well that he began to outpace the NBA 2K16 Stephen Curry—which came as a surprise to game maker 2K Sports.
Now, on the occasion of the Golden State Warriors guard being voted the first unanimous MVP in NBA history, Under Armour and 2K Sports are teaming up for a fun stunt that involves helping NBA 2K16 Curry get a little better, so he can match the real thing.
Starting at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, NBA 2K16 players will be able to download a roster update that will make video-game Curry an even better shooter—his rating will be maxed out at 99 for 30 hours, in a reference to his jersey number. The 99 rating is the best ever for any player in the game.
To promote the stunt, Under Armour and agency Droga5 created the fun ad below, in which video-game Curry is shocked at what real-life Curry can do on the court.
Droga5 tells AdFreak that the agency wanted to beyond an MVP celebration and instead create an experience that fans could enjoy.
"Stephen Curry's impact on the game of basketball is immeasurable," said Kip Fulks, chief marketing officer at Under Armour. "His game, coupled with his will to dominate, is unlike anything we've ever seen in the NBA. Stephen's cultural reach off the court is equally transcendent. At Under Armour we are thrilled and humbled to be alongside Stephen on this journey, and look forward to his continued perseverance in making himself a better athlete every single day."
CREDITS
Client: Under Armour
Campaign: The New Level
Launch Date: May 10
Agency: Droga5 NY
Creative Chairman: David Droga
Chief Creative Officer: Ted Royer
Group Creative Director: Tim Gordon
Senior Copywriter: Ben Bliss
Senior Art Director: Evan Schultz
Designer: Toga Cox
Chief Creation Officer: Sally-Ann Dale
Head of Broadcast Production: Ben Davies
Executive Broadcast Producer: David Cardinali
Associate Broadcast Producer: Isabella Lebovitz
Head of Interactive Production: Niklas Lindstrom
Head of Print Services: Rob Lugo
Executive Design Director: Rob Trostle
Senior Print Producer: Alyssa Dolman
Retouching Studio Manager: Michelle Leedy
Retoucher: Peter Gibson, John Ciambriello
Global Chief Strategy Officer: Jonny Bauer
Group Strategy Director: Harry Roman:
Sam Matthews: Strategy Director
Newman Granger: Junior Strategist:
Senior Communications Strategist: Hillary Heath
Group Account Director: : Julian Cheevers
Account Director: : Bola Adekoya
Associate Account Manager: Scott Bubis
Senior Project Manager: Courtney Kosup
Project Manager: Connor Hall
Client: Under Armour
CEO and Founder: Kevin Plank
Chief Marketing Officer: Kip Fulks
SVP, Global Brand Management: Adrienne Lofton
VP, Global Consumer Engagement: Jim Mollica
Director, Global Marketing Operations—Process
& integration: Teresa Oles
Director, Global Basketball: Tai Foster
Editorial: D5 Studios
Editor: Estan Esparza:
Studio Coordinator: CJ Trahan
Post Production: The Mill
Senior Producer: Nick Strange Thye
2D Lead: Nathan Cane
Colorist: Michael Rossiter
Color Producer: Natalie Westerfield
Color Assistant: Evan Bauer
Music: Elias
It's Been Some Time: Composers: Nate Morgan and
Jonathan Scott Manness
Sound: Heard City
Sound Engineer: Jeremy Siegel