nike 50th: never done making history (tigerbelles)
The Tigerbelles, a legendary track team at TSU, won 34 college championships, 23 Olympic medals and 40 world records. With that track record, everyone should know the Tigerbelles. But they don’t. To make their legacy impossible to ignore, we created an installation of over 25k indestructible metal track spikes.
25, 984 track spikes.
1 monumental legacy.
The 10 x 7.5 feet installation recreates an iconic photograph of the Tigerbelles crossing the finish line at the national AAU Track and Field Championships in June 1978. From left to right, it features Brenda Morehead, Chandra Cheeseborough and Ernestine Davis.
Artists Kevin Pierce and Gertrude East led the project, manually installing 25,984 track spikes while Michael Ocasio Arana created the design. Its size and durable material was specifically chosen to make the Tigerbelles’ legacy visible forever.
The installation was unveiled at one of the most historic museums in the United States: the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. We invited former Tigerbelles as well as current Olympian hurdler Anna Cockrell to experience the team’s history like never before.
ECD: Luciana Cani | CD: Lizette Morazzani | ACD, Art: Matt Firman | ACD, Copy: Maddie Ecker | Sr. Art Director: Brit Drotlef | Sr. Art Director: Greg Plater | Sr. Copywriter: Victoria Bonhomme | Copywriter: Matt Ostler | Art Director: Tyler Richardson | Executive Producer: Kevin Lewis
Awards:
Cannes Lions, Outdoor Shortlist, 2023
Clio Sports, Gold in Design, 2023
Clio Sports, Bronze in Events/Activation, 2023
Clio Sports, Bronze in OOH, 2023