Foot Locker officially launched its year-round basketball brand platform, "Hoops Lives Here," on Tuesday, with details shared with Marketing Dive. The retailer aims to strengthen its position in basketball and sneaker culture and celebrate the ways the sport shows up in everyday life.

"Basketball has always been the cornerstone of Foot Locker. It sits at one of the most powerful intersections of sport, style, and culture, and it's the arena where we've earned the trust of the sneaker community and basketball fans for over fifty years," Foot Locker Chief Marketing Officer Brett O'Brien said in an email. "The sport continues to shape sneaker culture and influence how consumers express themselves on and off the court. For us, that means operating with greater authenticity and consistency in a space where we naturally belong."

The campaign, created by agency Someplace, spans broadcast, social, digital, out-of-home, and in-store channels, and includes e-commerce and limited-time gift-with-purchase elements in key markets. The platform is rolling out across NBA broadcasts and social platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitch, and Reddit.

"We view platforms like Twitch and Reddit as community-first spaces, not just media channels. That's where basketball and sneaker fans are already having passionate, knowledgeable conversations, and our job is to show up in a way that feels natural to the community," O'Brien said. "Audiences on these platforms understand the culture and can quickly spot whether a brand is engaging authentically. For us, the key is adding value to the conversation and reinforcing our credibility in basketball culture."

A 30-second hero spot features NBA and WNBA stars Payton Pritchard, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jewell Loyd, who play athletes treating Foot Locker stores as "home." These athletes also represent different sneaker brands: Pritchard with Converse, Banchero with Jordan Brand, and Holmgren and Loyd with Nike.

"Bringing together NBA and WNBA talent from brand partners like Nike, Jordan Brand, and Converse makes the story authentic to the basketball community we serve and the consumers we engage with daily," O'Brien said. "[These players] are a great fit because they each represent different dimensions of today's basketball culture, from performance and style to influence and connection. Together, they help bring the platform to life in a way that's relevant to today's basketball consumer."

"Hoops Lives Here" is the first major initiative since O'Brien took on the role. He was appointed after Dick's Sporting Goods completed its acquisition of the Foot Locker brand portfolio in September. Before being named CMO, O'Brien spent nearly 25 years at PepsiCo in various marketing roles, most recently as chief sports officer.

"We are passionate about the future of Foot Locker," Dick's Executive Chairman Ed Stack said in a statement when the deal closed. "The world-class team we've assembled is committed to returning Foot Locker to its rightful place in the industry. We're committed to investing in and growing Foot Locker through its powerful culture, led by the Stripers, to create a stronger experience for consumers."