In September Nike inaugurated a basketball court and playground in the New Belgrade district of Serbia’s capital city. The brand hired a B Corp-certified design firm in London, Accept & Proceed (A&P), to refurbish the park with material from 20,000 recycled and locally donated sneakers. The project stems from a Nike environmental campaign called “Move to Zero” (that is, zero carbon or waste). In addition to the actual court and playground, A&P worked on bleachers, chain-link fencing, an outdoor gym, collection bins, and “in-store campaign presence” and other existing elements. The park’s exact location is Block 70, selected for its historical connections with basketball. “It was fascinating to come up with the different elements of [traditional Serbian] lettering that can inform another function, like a free-throw or half court line, and even more exciting to think that the design will not only inform the players’ movements, but influence the community spirit and energy of Block 70,” says A&P’s principal designer, Nigel Cottier. A&P has also developed graphics and messaging for a six-month promotional campaign on Instagram and in Belgrade itself, on the streets and in the stores. Bins for the collection of used sneakers explain the stages of upcycling for the public. A&P also designed the Hackney Marshes Football Pitches for Nike’s “Where We Stand” campaign in June.

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