Behind the Creation of the Compound's 'Play For Change' Campaign With the NBPA

When the NBA restart placed racial justice issues at the forefront of discussions for players, Set Free Richardson saw an opportunity. Richardson, the creative director for The Compound creative agency, partnered with the NBPA to lay the foundation for his newest initiative, “Play for Change.”

Social tensions were particularly high during the NBA restart negotiations as protests broke out nationwide in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police.

Players such as Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving expressed their desire for the cancellation of the season in pursuit of social change, while others viewed the continuation of the season as an opportunity to use the nationally televised platform to speak on the issues they found important.

“This is like a monumental time in history, so it sparked the idea. I was like, wow, I wish players had a logo or icon that represents when they're putting their opinions out,” Richardson says.

Thus, the plan to create a campaign that would resonate with people determined to bring about reform was conceived.

Richardson is the creator of the AND1 Mixtapes, so he is no stranger to the game of basketball. During the early stages of development, many of the campaign names were derived from his history in streetball.

“Hold the Rock” and “Stop the Rock,” were the main contenders. At the time, he leaned toward the assumption that the season would not continue. This was prior to hearing the statement issued from former President Obama’s office urging the players to take to the court and use their voices.

Ultimately, Richardson settled on “Play for Change,” behind the notion that, if players were to play, then they would play for a purpose. He acknowledged that people have different reasons for arriving at the same outcome, so it is possible for both sides to be right.

“If I'm not gonna play the game, it’s to have my voice be heard. If I am going to play the game, I’m going to use my platform to address what’s going on in the world,” Richardson said.

Once the initiative was formed, he needed to establish a branding that would help keep people focused on the objective at hand. When looking for inspiration, Richardson referred to some of the classic logos that made a significant impact on the basketball world.

There was a recurring theme in these logos. Many of them were silhouettes.

The Jumpman logo featuring Michael Jordan, along with silhouetted images of NBA legends such as Jerry West and Rasheed Wallace, were some of the primary inspirations for the Play for Change logo. Richardson combined that concept with the classic image of the 1968 Olympics Black power fist to create a logo that would acknowledge both sides of the NBA restart debate and convey the message that the injustice afflicting the African American community must be addressed.

Black Lives Matter is important to the players, but they were intent on having a design that was unique to their community and mission.

During the process, Richardson took heed of Tupac Shakur's quote:

"I'm not saying I'm going to change the world, but I guarantee you that I will spark the brain that will change the world. And that's our job ... It’s to spark somebody else watching us.”

This message was embodied by the unique outline of a basketball player wearing a headband, with his right fist raised, and a basketball being held to his hip. The logo is not an official NBPA logo, but instead a product of The Compound creative agency.

This is Richardson’s third partnership with the NBPA, having curated an art show for them in 2018 and hosted the 2019 NBA rookie transition event.

“We started it just from the graphic on Instagram. [The logo] got spread around, and to see the legends like Chauncey Billups, Matt Barnes, Isiah Thomas' support,” Richardson said, “is humbling.”

With the initial campaign gaining traction in the social media space, Richardson thought of an even more impactful way to spread the message—T-shirts.

Richardson took it upon himself to personally print 300 T-shirts for distribution to individuals and team representatives in the NBA bubble in Orlando.

Several players across the league, both in and outside of the bubble, showed support to the campaign by donning the “Play for Change” hoodies and T-shirts. Players wearing the apparel included Jae Crowder, Kyrie Irving, Danny Green, and Jaylen Brown among others.

Brown most recently wore the shirt in an interview prior to his departure from the bubble.

“It’s been an honor to be able to play here … and shed light on some of those injustices, and I don't know all of the answers, I just want to do my part,” Brown said.

Richardson is accustomed to star players appreciating and supporting his work, but he said this specific project feels different because of the meaning behind the support.

“They’re supporting something that’s bigger than me, and bigger than the concept,” he says. “It’s a great feeling.”

Players like Brown exemplify the goal of the campaign, as his words have seemingly always matched his actions.

“I hope that anybody that sees the image that plays sports uses their platform for the betterment of the human race,” Richardson says. “For the average everyday person when they see the logo, it jogs the notion that ‘maybe I can’t donate money … but I do have a voice, and if I speak up, it’s doing something.’”

As he continues to grow the audience and impact of the Play for Change initiative, Richardson is excited about his involvement on an ESPN 30 for 30 film that is to be released sometime next year. The topic of this documentary is not yet public.

Fans who would like to support Play for Change can enter to win one of the shirts on The Compound’s Instagram.