Buffalo Nickel Creative Confirms Justin Ivan Hong’s Return as Cinematographer for Nike N7 2023 Campaign

In a move demonstrating both strategic acumen and a commitment to professional excellence, Indigenous-owned Buffalo Nickel Creative (BNC) has announced that award-winning Cinematographer Justin Ivan Hong will once again return to his role for the upcoming Nike N7 2023 Campaign. This will mark the third time that Hong is being brought on by BNC for a large project.

The decision to engage Hong again, a non-Indigenous creative and technical partner, is a pragmatic illustration of BNC’s long-term vision: prioritizing the quality required for a high-profile, national client like Nike while continuing to accelerate its internal talent development.

The initial 2022 Nike N7 campaign, led by BNC, was a landmark success, praised for its authentic storytelling and high production value. A critical component of that success was the inclusion of Hong, whose technical expertise secured the cinematic polish necessary for a campaign with national reach.

While BNC’s internal production team saw significant growth and professional benefits from the mentorship provided during the projects in the 2022, the agency acknowledges that it takes time to cultivate the deep bench of highly specialized crew required to handle a production of this size and complexity independently.

"Our team made incredible strides last year; the knowledge gained from Justin and his team was invaluable and we've been putting them into practice across some of our smaller projects" said Joseph Brown Thunder, Producer and Co-Founder of Buffalo Nickel Creative.

"However, a project for a client like Nike operates at an incredibly high professional benchmark. We are still building the in-house capacity to execute a national-scale commercial campaign entirely on our own. Our priority for the 2023 N7 campaign is to ensure top-tier quality, and bringing Justin back guarantees that while allowing our Indigenous crew members another year of hands-on, high-level exposure."

This continued partnership underscores BNC's commitment to delivering a world-class product without compromising its foundational goal: fostering sustainable economic growth and opportunity for Indigenous filmmakers.

By strategically integrating Hong’s technical leadership, BNC ensures the Nike N7 2023 content will maintain the competitive visual quality that has defined the collection, while simultaneously providing a critical, real-world learning environment for their rising crew. This collaborative model transforms a production gig into a teaching opportunity, closing the skills gap necessary for Indigenous-owned agencies to compete for the largest commercial contracts.

"This isn't just about hiring a specialist; it's about investing in our future workforce," Brown Thunder added. "Justin isn't just delivering great visuals; he's helping us create our next generation of leaders behind the lens. That kind of intentional collaboration is how we secure our seat at the national table."

Cinematographer Justin Ivan Hong

The collaboration signals a mature approach to capacity building—acknowledging the need for strategic partnerships to secure client confidence while diligently working toward complete creative and technical independence for future generations.

The Nike N7 2023 Collection is set to debut soon, with content expected to showcase the powerful results of this successful cross-cultural creative alliance.