How Beats’ latest campaign for Powerbeats Pro 2 turns an elite athletic ability into a unifying narrative for LeBron James, Lionel Messi, and Shohei Ohtani.
Beats has unveiled its latest campaign, developed by its long-time creative agency partner, Translation, to mark the launch of the highly anticipated Powerbeats Pro 2.
Titled Listen to Your Heart, the campaign brings together three of the world’s most celebrated athletes – LeBron James, Lionel Messi, and Shohei Ohtani – and is narrated by hip-hop legend RZA. The campaign underscores the role of the heart—both metaphorically and physiologically— and is built on a unique insight: top-tier athletes possess an exceptional ability to regulate their heart rates, allowing them to maintain control in high-pressure moments.
Translation chief creative officer Jason Campbell explains the origins of the concept, saying: “It all started with a simple question—what do LeBron, Messi, and Ohtani have in common beyond being the best at what they do?
“They play different sports and come from different cultures, but when we dug deeper, we found this incredible insight: the greatest athletes in the world can actually control their heart rates. That’s not just a fact—it’s a mindset. It’s how they stay locked in when everything around them is chaos.”
For Campbell, this discovery shaped the entire narrative as he saw the heart not just as a metaphor here but as a crucial part of how these athletes operate. He adds: “The product allowed us to tell a sports story from an entirely new perspective, one that’s not about the highlight reel but about what’s happening inside—inside their bodies, inside their minds.”
Featuring three athletes from different sporting disciplines – basketball, football, and baseball – the campaign required careful balancing to ensure a cohesive message while respecting their distinct stories. Ensuring that it felt like one unified story and giving the athletes’ stories their own space was the biggest balancing act, according to Campbell.
He notes: “The key was finding that universal truth, something deeper than the sport itself. Once we landed on the insight about heart rate control, everything clicked because it wasn’t about basketball, soccer, or baseball; it was about how these athletes experience pressure and how they stay in control when the world is watching.”
Messi clearly agrees, saying: “Even though we come from different sports, what connects us is our shared passion to perform at the highest level.
“This campaign reflects how true power comes from the heart – how we’ve all used that inner drive to fuel our journeys and push ourselves throughout our careers.”
Adding another layer of intensity to the campaign is the unmistakable voice of RZA, a cultural icon whose presence further cements the campaign’s emotional weight. Campbell says: “Bringing these athletes together with RZA was effortless because they share the same ambition, the same drive.
“RZA was the obvious choice to narrate this spot—his journey in music mirrors LeBron, Messi, and Ohtani in so many ways.” He describes the artist as “a GOAT in his own right” and “a cornerstone of hip-hop and culture”.
His raw and soulful voice was chosen for its ability to really connect with people rather than just speak to them.
Shot over several months across multiple countries, the production presented significant logistical and creative challenges. Campbell and his team at Translation worked meticulously to ensure that the visuals felt cohesive despite the varied settings and sports.
“The campaign was shot over several months in multiple cities and countries – so one key challenge was ensuring every element of the film work felt cohesive and connected,” he shares. “Beyond capturing three different sports, we also had to capture three different environments, heavily informing our pulsing light visual device.”
This attention to detail is evident in the spot’s execution, with each athlete’s unique rhythm reflected in the film’s pacing and editing. “LeBron’s world moves differently than Messi’s. Ohtani’s pressure isn’t the same as theirs – but at the core, they all share this rare ability to command the moment,” Campbell explains.
“That’s what made it cohesive. It wasn’t about making them fit into one story—it was about showing that, at the highest level, they’re all speaking the same language.”
Beats has long been synonymous with culturally resonant storytelling, and Listen to Your Heart continues that tradition while pushing the brand’s creative boundaries. “Our partnership with Beats is the result of a mutual understanding and desire to create impactful and insightful storytelling,” says Campbell. “Beats’ roster is full of some of the most iconic athletes in the world, but the difference is that we don’t just throw a brand logo on any athlete we can find; we ensure that we craft cohesive, creative ideas that break through in culture.”
From the commanding presence of James, Messi, and Ohtani to the poetic narration of RZA, Listen to Your Heart was designed to be more than an advertisement – it’s more accurate to describe it as an anthem of perseverance, focus, and the power of the human spirit.
As James himself puts it: “Music has always been a key motivator in my training, and these earphones take an already iconic product to the next level.”
