Nike Just Did It At The Church And Won The Grand Prix At Cannes Lions

Last year, Nike converted an old church into a culture and sports center for kids. And the project took the lead in Industry Craft at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June!

Nike’s “Just Do It HQ at The Church,” created in partnership with Momentum Worldwide’s New York and Toronto offices, won the Grand Prix in the Industry category. Last year, Nike transformed the 19th-century vacant Church of the Epiphany in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood into a basketball court and a safe haven for youth.

The Church of Epiphany dates back to 1895. The project comprises a new court, gym and locker room, which will be used by local schools. Stained glass windows and the vaulted timber-beamed ceilings have been maintained. New additions include custom-designed floor markings and electric blue lighting, which give the converted church a contemporary spin.

According to the brand, after one month of summer programming, the court had hosted 2,000 kids from 67 schools and welcomed appearances from 10 Nike athletes.

The honor rewards artistry, talent and skill that goes into bringing a creative idea to life. The “Just Do It HQ at the Church” provided a safe space for Chicago youth to play and train off the streets. The project is created in collaboration with Momentum Worldwide New York and Momentum Canada.

Trevor Robinson, Founder and Executive Creative Director at Quiet Storm in the UK, said that is was an agreeable decision. While the design of the space was expertly done with exquisite stained glass.

Robinson continued,

It was bigger than just an idea that wins awards. It was very close to a lot of our hearts. With the amount of violence we have around the world, this was a real statement. What we were really impressed with was that Nike didn’t try to splash logos all over it. It became a haven for these kids—if you grow up in a tough area, to find a place where you can escape the world and be kids for a moment—this is an amazing thing for Nike to have done. It was so tastefully done and emotionally it blew us all away.

After a month of summer programming last year, the court had hosted 2,000 player from 67 schools and hosted special appearances from 10 Nike athletes.