LOT #83486 |
Current Bid: $26,000
1995-97 "Lil Penny" Ad Campaign Production Puppet....
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Description
1995-97 "Lil Penny" Ad Campaign Production Puppet. The Lil Penny advertising campaign was one of the most memorable marketing efforts in 1990s sports culture. Launched by Nike in 1994, the campaign featured a miniature puppet version of NBA star Penny Hardaway, voiced by comedian Chris Rock. Lil Penny was portrayed as the outspoken, humorous counterpart to the reserved Hardaway, often boasting about his own fame and influence while promoting Penny's Nike Air Penny line of sneakers. The ads cleverly combined humor, personality, and basketball culture, making Lil Penny an instant hit among fans and sneaker enthusiasts.The campaign stood out due to its unique blend of puppetry, celebrity cameos, and sharp writing. It featured appearances by notable figures like Tyra Banks and Spike Lee, and often aired during high-profile NBA broadcasts. Lil Penny's comedic exaggerations created a contrast that enhanced Penny Hardaway's calm and serious image on the court. More than just selling shoes, the campaign helped solidify the Air Penny brand as a cultural phenomenon during Hardaway's peak playing years. Today, Lil Penny remains a nostalgic icon of 1990s basketball marketing, often referenced in retrospectives of the era's most influential sneaker campaigns. The campaign's legacy still resonates in sneaker and pop culture discussions.
Li'l Penny was conceived in the early '90s for Nike by Stacy Wall from ad agency Weiden + Kennedy. He was designed, created, and puppeteered through M5 Industries by eventual 'Mythbusters' star Jamie Hyneman and his talented team of artists and technicians.
There were several different versions of the Lil Penny puppet but it's fair to say that this is one of the best of them, finding the miniaturized hoops hero donning his Orlando Magic uniform with the "1/2" jersey number offering a wink and a nod to the famous Eddie Gaedel stunt of 1951 Major League Baseball. Like the other puppets used in the Nike campaign, all the various joints--elbows, wrists, shoulders, knees, neck-- are fully poseable to simulate movement. Another exact duplicate Lil Penny was configured with animatronics and cable controls for use in live action commercials and television ads. A basketball remains affixed to this Lil Penny's right palm. Construction is hard plastic. Height with legs fully extended is about twenty-seven inches (27"). Nike Penny 2's are on his feet--crafted in hard plastic, although the socks are cloth, just like the uniform. Letter of provenance from puppeteer who received this puppet as a gift from M5 for his contributions to the project.
Guide Value or Estimate: $30,000 - up.
Auction Info
2025 October 24 - 26 Fall Sports Catalog Auction #50080 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
October
25th
Saturday
10:00 pm CT
Auction Dates
October
24th-26th
Friday-Sunday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
17 Days
7h 49m 17s
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 21
Lot Tracking Activity: 62
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Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid (minimum $29) per lot.
This lot is in: 2 -
Signature Internet Extended Bid Session - Extended Bidding :
(Lots 83094-83699) - 10:00 PM Central Time, Saturday, October 25, 2025.
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Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
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