The follow-up to Nike and NOCTA's first KD19 campaign film arrives with Drake crammed inside a shipping crate.
"Just Like Candy" reunites NBA star Kevin Durant and the Toronto-based rapper.
Here, they go about another comedic skit to launch the NOCTA x Nike KD 19 sneaker, nicknamed "The Candies."
It picks up where the first film, "Yes Man," left off with the same stars, the same sneaker, and the same deadpan dynamic that made the original a hit among fans.
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Post production was completed by No Sushi, the company founded by director Daps and producer Alexander Jamieson.
Director X helmed the film, with M ss ng P eces and Creative Rain handling production.
"The fun of this one was taking the viewer on a journey of anticipation for the big reveal," editor Deji LaRay said in a press release.
"You wait with KD, confused by the large crate delivery, and can't help but cackle when Drake is revealed with the special delivery."
For No Sushi, the film is a continuation of what the company was built to do, which is to bring film and television-level post craft into advertising.
"The craft is invisible when it is working, but the entire film depends on rhythm, tone, sound, colour and restraint," Co-Founder and COO Alexander Jamieson shared.
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The brand's willingness to let Drake and KD's personalities shine is a big aspect of why this campaign lands.
And while the two play exaggerated versions of themselves, the humor holds because neither one oversells it.
Drake Arrives, Slightly Disheveled
The film is shot almost like a sitcom, resembling the comedic beats and style of "The Office."
It opens with Durant in his Houston home, waiting on a delivery he missed the previous day.
What he expects to be a shoebox arrives as a massive wooden art crate.
The crate opens, and Drake steps out fully dressed in Nike, a little worn from the journey. He then presents the KD19 Candies.
Durant, as expected, stays completely flat. "These are fire though," he says, closing the spot.
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Colorist Chadwick B. Williams, whose recent credits include "The Last of Us," "The Boys," and "Star Trek: Picard," gave the home setting a clean cinematic look.
Two-time Emmy-winning sound designer Jonathan Fuhrer built the atmosphere on the delivery and the reveal without crowding the comedy.
Hiring prestige-TV talent for a 60-second spot shows where sneaker marketing money is going.
Brands now spend on production values that make an ad feel like content people choose to watch.
The Art of Comedic Timing
What No Sushi brought to this KD19 spot is what separates a good comedy bit from one that converts:
- Timing is a craft decision, not an accident: A joke that sits one beat too long dies on screen regardless of how good the talent is.
- Sound design does emotional work the camera can't: The weight of the crate and the silence before Durant's line delivery are constructed moments that can make a scene land.
- Color sets the world the story lives in: A grade that feels off pulls viewers out of the scene before the punchline arrives.
Overall, the brands investing in premium video production agencies see the worth in the invisible work that makes audiences stay.
Our Take: Does Banter Still Sell Sneakers?
Yes, and the KD19 campaign proves that serialized comedy is a creative format brands should take seriously.
Durant and Drake's dynamic is undeniably good, and it would be almost criminal not to build two films around it.
The deadpan-versus-hype-man setup works because both stars are playing recognizable versions of themselves.
And the sneaker still shines amid the comedic banter. No Sushi's post-production also gives the humor space to breathe.
In short, when the casting is right, the dynamic is top-notch, and the production is tasteful, the product sells itself.
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