“Memory Lane” with Derrick Rose & Joakim Noah

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

With Chicago basketball icon Derrick Rose stepping away from the game, Bulls fans around the world celebrated his legacy and impact on the game and culture this past season. As part of the celebration, the Bulls & Rose co-produced a longform piece that featured Derrick and close friend and teammate, Joakim Noah. The two relived and reacted to moments from their memorable careers, both on and off the court, ranging from behind-the-scenes clips on their draft days to meaningful individual basketball and friendship moments – giving Bulls fans a never-before-seen look at two franchise icons.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

Authenticity is more than a buzz word. Countless fans across social media responded to seeing Joakim and Derrick together in the teaser made them cry, how they were setting calendars in order to watch the full clip, and how surprised they were at the emotions that this clip sparked.

It is rare, in today’s overwhelming content space, for fans to respond this emotionally – giving them a chance to see these heroes of the court speak in their own words, to each other – with no media personality or host in the room with them. As the comments made clear, the video gave fans a glimpse into Derrick that they never got a chance to see during his playing career. We feel the resulting video is a best-in-class example of how to partner with an athlete and both turn the spotlight on them while giving them a chance to be part of – and not just the focus of – the narrative.

Objective

With Chicago basketball legend Derrick Rose stepping away from the game of basketball, it was time to tell his story. Who better to tell this story than the man himself?

Our concept was to group Derrick and Joakim Noah – two of the most cherished athletes in Chicago history and pillars of those 2010s Bulls teams and genuine close friends – and give them a chance to relive some of their on-and-off-court memories alongside Bulls fans. We wanted to let Derrick and Joakim lead the narrative and give the famously soft-spoken Rose the chance to reflect in a comfortable setting. We wanted to give fans a chance to see them speaking openly about moments we all remember.

This piece of content aimed to accomplish four specific goals:

1) Honor Derrick and his iconic career.

2) Allow Derrick to give flowers to his teammates.

3) Induce nostalgia for those who grew up with the D-Rose led Bulls teams.

4) Thank the fans for their loyalty and support with an incredible piece of rewatchable, long-lasting content.

Strategy & Execution

The concept was to have Derrick and Joakim open up about moments they hadn’t before, publicly. Bulls fans remember moments like Derrick’s iconic rookie playoff debut against Boston and Chicago’s rivalry with the Miami Heat, but they’ve never heard the perspective of these two figures discuss it together.

To create a sense of unpredictability while giving them more control over the narrative, we segmented each clip into topics with vague titles and had them select without prep work. The reactions from Rose and Noah seeing many of the video clips of their younger selves were truly genuine – from subtly wiping away a tear to whipping out a phone to record what they were seeing. This allowed fans to see the real them in a way they perhaps never have before.

The video, a 26-minute longform conversation, would ultimately live on YouTube, but the Bulls and Derrick would tease the conversation by dropping short clips and a brief trailer of Joakim and Rose, all directing people toward a scheduled YouTube premiere. These clips were posted across social media, and the reaction was extremely emotional. Finally, segments of the conversation were shared afterward to keep the conversation going.

Organizations

• Chicago Bulls
• Derrick Rose and Team

Links

•   Website

Featured

• Derrick Rose
• Joakim Noah

Credits

Joakim Noah
Chicago Bulls Alumni
Chicago Bulls

Susan Goodenow
EVP, Brand & Public Affairs
Chicago Bulls

Luka Dukich
VP, Content
Chicago Bulls

Brad Siegel
Executive Director, Bulls TV
Chicago Bulls

Chris Ramirez
Director, Bulls TV
Chicago Bulls

Joe Pinchin
Director, Digital Content
Chicago Bulls

Ian Beckley
Senior Producer, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Daniel Morley
Senior Editor, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Nikko Tan
Senior Manager, Digital Content
Chicago Bulls

Cait Hicks
Editor, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Daniel Charous
Production Manager, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Tucker Jacob
Production Manager, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Cheryl Wayte
Production Assistant, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Anya Kalfus
Production Assistant, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

TJ Freeby
Assistant Editor, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Katie Dietrick
Post Production Associate, BullsTV
Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Mitchell
Manager, Content Design
Chicago Bulls

Sarah Smith
Executive Director, Marketing
Chicago Bulls

Kayla King
Manager, Brand & Fan Development
Chicago Bulls

Matt Yob
Director, Alumni Relations
Chicago Bulls

Ethan Wilen
Senior Coordinator, Alumni Relations
Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose
CEO
DMR Ventures

Madison Ornstil
Chief Strategy Officer
DMR Ventures

Randall Hampton
Chief Marketing Officer
DMR Ventures