Whodunit?
Read the story- Brand
- Above The Rim
- Year
- 2003
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Puzzle
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Zugara
Objective
Reebok's ATR by RbK line was a street-style, hip-hop-inflected sub-brand aimed at chipping away at Nike's hold on premium basketball footwear. CMO Mickey Pant wanted more than product exposure — the campaign needed to pull basketball fans into an active relationship with the brand and route them from TV spots straight to the website and into stores.
Solution
Ads on BET, MTV, ESPN and in magazines like Slam and XXL set up a single premise — a killer crossover move on a streetball court had taken out a rival — then sent viewers to rbk.com/whodunit. There the player signs up as a Sports Crime Squad investigator, walks through the crime scene, and questions four real NBA players who all had motive. Clues surface as the case unfolds over days, with email and SMS alerts pinging registered players whenever the story advances. Once a player is ready to name a suspect, they submit their verdict, entering a draw for a trip to the 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend.
- 1
The player arrives at rbk.com/whodunit from a TV or print ad for ATR by RbK, which sets up the premise: someone "destroyed" an opponent with a crossover move on a streetball court, framed as a crime committed "above the rim."
- 2
The player takes on the role of a Sports Crime Squad Investigator, a status that carries through the whole case.
- 3
The player investigates by examining the crime-scene court for clues, then reviews dossiers on four real NBA suspects — Baron Davis, Steve Francis, Kenyon Martin, and Jason Richardson — and questions each one to gather statements.
- 4
The player weighs the gathered evidence and testimony to determine which suspect committed the crossover.
- 5
The player can opt in to email and SMS alerts that deliver case updates and draw them back to the site as the story develops.
- 6
The player accuses one of the four suspects, resolving the case and entering a sweepstakes for a trip to the 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend.
