The National Basketball Association (NBA) has launched a new campaign to amp up excitement for the NBA Playoffs.

As a result, the “Playoff Mode. It’s a Thing” campaign features iconic basketball moments featuring players Jayson Tatum Nikola Jokić, Jalen Brunson, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and narrated by Chris Rock.

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The campaign will roll out across various channels including TV, digital, audio, and OOH activations throughout the playoff series.

NBA CMO Tammy Henault said: “Our strategy for this year’s NBA Playoffs campaign centres around an engaging video concept that not only captures the energy of fans and players as we enter the post-season but also brings them in with humour and personal feel.

“There have been countless viral playoff moments throughout NBA history where players up the ante to take their teams to the next level, so we took a lighthearted approach at spoofing the idea of ‘Playoff Mode’ and encouraging fans to tune in this season to see whose Playoff alter-ego will rise above the rest.” 

She added: “During this time of year we know our core fans are watching, but we also see an increase in engagement with our more casual fans and those which we call ‘opportunity audiences,’ so we developed creative that would cater to all of those different audiences.

“This year’s Playoffs campaign leans into some of the season’s top stories. Will the Denver Nuggets make it to the Finals for the second time? Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to playoff glory? We wanted to harness the excitement behind the different narratives gripping the league this time of year.”