Playgrounds Reborn

Across many neighborhoods in Île-de-France, basketball courts are there — visible, present. But silent. Often, all they’re missing to come alive again is one small thing: a net.

Studies have shown it clearly: a court with a net attracts twice as many players. Without it, the sound of a shot doesn’t hit the same, the joy of the game fades, players move on, and the city loses a bit of its energy.

In response, Heetch — the ride-hailing app rooted in everyday mobility — launched the “Playground Reborn” operation. A simple yet symbolic initiative: 300 nets reinstalled on public courts, to bring back the game, the passion… and life.

A simple gesture, a real impact
“We drive through these neighborhoods every day. Acting on these courts means being useful where it matters, where we are. It’s tangible — just like our service,” explains Renaud Berthe, CMO at Heetch.

This campaign, created with BETC Paris, brings a poetic and social dimension to the action. Through a manifesto film, Heetch reminds us that these courts — ever-present in our neighborhoods — are places of connection, hustle, and pride. When they go quiet, an entire part of the city fades away.

“We didn’t want to portray basketball as something flashy or spectacular, but as urban music. A melody of the everyday. And in that composition, the net is essential,” say Mathieu Laugier and Olivier Aumard, Managing Director and Creative Director at BETC Paris.

A natural role for Heetch, always on the ground in these neighborhoods

“At Heetch, we pass by these courts every single day. We’re directly connected to the city and its realities. So when a court goes silent, we hear it. Acting was an obvious choice for us,” adds Renaud Berthe.

Following in the footsteps of “Proud sponsor de la banlieue” — the platform launched by Heetch in 2023 to highlight what makes urban life so vibrant — Playground Reborn stands as a new, tangible example of that local commitment.

Each net was installed by hand, in collaboration with local players and regulars of the playgrounds, staying closeto the ground and with the help of well-known streetball figures like Lucie AGRAS (@Lucieags), Salimata SYLLA (@Sali_7), Rosenel CETOUT (@Newlittlegiant), Yoane LUYENGO, and Khalil Coline (@lil_keef971), along with Malik Rouamba, Samuel Bringer, Themis Maleme, and Ismael Kobe from the U21 and U15 teams of Paris Basketball.

The film, shot across several neighborhoods in Île-de-France, captures this rebirth through the sounds of the ball bouncing, sneakers sliding on asphalt, and voices rising again.