Belgrade – As part of the company’s Move to Zero campaign, Nike has renovated a basketball court in Belgrade using 20,000 sneakers destined for landfill. To achieve this, the sports giant teamed up with B-Corp-certified creative agency Accept & Proceed.
Blok 70 is a recreational centre in New Belgrade that draws on the area’s rich history with basketball while creating a contemporary space for local athletes and sports enthusiasts. Every new piece of equipment in the park has been made using old sneakers donated by members of the community, and Nike has also repaired and repainted the park's existing fitness apparatus and public furniture, restoring the area as a source of local pride.
‘We evolved the visual language we had developed for Nike’s Move to Zero identity by incorporating bespoke Serbian lettering in the court markings to celebrate New Belgrade’s local community,’ explains Nigel Cottier, principal designer at Accept & Proceed. With the pandemic making outdoor spaces more vital than ever, Civic Placemakers are using community-centric practices to help re-energise public spaces.
Strategic opportunity
Brands seeking to help local communities should be restoring existing centres, instead of building entirely new infrastructure, to reduce their environmental footprint