House of Hoops

> Role: Creative Development, Copywriting, Brand and Social Strategy, Research, Community Management

Built by the game.

Launched in 2007, House of Hoops — Nike and Foot Locker’s brick and mortar ode to basketball — was THE premier destination for footwear and apparel from Jordan, Converse, and Nike. Before boutique retailers like KITH stole the show, House of Hoops was where you went to find the latest and greatest. From ‘Galaxy’ Foamposites (see here and here) to Air Yeezy IIs (see here), they had the release calendar on lock.

But by the mid to late 2010s, House of Hoops had lost its way. They expanded too much, becoming commonplace in strip malls across middle America. They lost their energy (and product releases) to rising boutique retailers like KITH, who changed the entire in-store consumer journey and experience. Someone had to right the ship. And that’s where I came in handy.

An OG House of Hoops consumer — since the days of their original location on Harlem’s famous 125th Street, I was tasked with helping to revitalize the energy and awareness around this franchise. Dormant across social media, Laundry Service breathed new life into this brand, successfully ‘relaunching’ and ‘rebranding’ the brand’s IG to appeal to the newer, younger consumer.

For the launch video and the TVC, my goal was to bring the energy of Harlem and NYC more broadly back into the House of Hoops fold. Lite feet — a form of dance made popular in NYC — had been around since the birth of House of Hoops. Kids used to battle on 125th Street, mere steps away from the front door of the OG store. It was engrained in the brand’s DNA. So it was only right we paid homage its roots in a fun, organic way.