SAN DIEGO _ New Balance released a TV commercial with Kawhi Leonard this week to pump his new line of sneakers. It is titled "Reign over LA" and alternates between shots of the recent Los Angeles Clippers acquisition working out and driving a blue convertible.
Near the end of the 36-second spot, Leonard is pictured alongside the car in a parking lot with the message: "This is his city."
Well, yeah. It's San Diego.
The commercial purportedly is about his return to Los Angeles, but upon closer examination it becomes clear it was filmed inside and outside Viejas Arena at his alma mater _ suspicions confirmed by sources at San Diego State. The darkened gym scenes show Viejas' distinctive red seats and red free-throw lane. The outside scenes are in the arena's lower parking lot, with the crumbling concrete bleachers from Aztec Bowl in the background.
What tricks the eye is the top of the "This is his city" scene. Instead of the Aztec Recreation Center, hazy mountains have been photo-shopped into the picture, presumably to look more like the L.A. basin.
On Thursday, New Balance tweeted a picture of Leonard's OMN1S basketball shoes on the hood of the blue convertible, also from the Viejas parking lot. It is accompanied by the message: "City under new management."
This time, there are no mountains and the student rec center is visible in the background.
There are other scenes with the car that appear to be from the L.A. area, but you only see the back of the driver's head in silhouette, and it easily could have been a body double.
The commercials were produced by The Rec League, a Los Angeles-based agency that says on its website: "We tell stories for athletes, artists & brands that are truly authentic and impactful to the culture."
So why was a marketing campaign to, in New Balance's words, "celebrate his official basketball homecoming" to L.A. filmed at an arena 125 miles south of Staples Center?
Leonard owns a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe and regularly spends his offseason training at various local gyms, including SDSU's JAM practice facility. And being obsessive about his two- and sometimes three-a-day workouts, devoting a day to a commercial shoot in L.A. might not have been an option. It was filmed in August, before Leonard had relocated north for the season.
An email to The Rec League was not returned. New Balance also did not respond to requests for comment.
