Vuitton and Yasiin Bey Honor 'The Greatest'

(The Root) — Louis Vuitton has debuted a new ad campaign honoring boxing icon Muhammad Ali by enlisting the talents of rapper and actor Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and graphic designer Niels Shoe Meulman. Suggested Reading Did You Know Black Folks Were Behind John Lennon’s Famous ‘Happy Xmas’ Song? TikTok’s Brenay Montague…

(The Root) — Louis Vuitton has debuted a new ad campaign honoring boxing icon Muhammad Ali by enlisting the talents of rapper and actor Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and graphic designer Niels Shoe Meulman.

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In the videos for the poems “Dream” and “Word,” Meulman uses a broom to paint the words in calligraphy-style letters on a boxing-ring floor. Bey recites some of the famed boxer’s greatest words while jabbing the air around him. The soon-to-be-released videos for other poems — “Float,” “Life” and a special “Ali” — will be in a similar form.

The fashion house’s campaign was conceived by advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather’s French office and was directed by Stuart A. McIntyre of Steam Films.

Vuitton’s project seeks to highlight Ali’s historic journey over time while staying true to promoting the art of travel.

The full tribute — which includes a riveting photo of the boxer with his adorable 4-year-old grandson and an interactive landing page featuring audio of some of Ali’s famous quotes — can be found here.

Watch “Dream” below:

Watch “Word” below:

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