HOUSE OF '98
Recreating the internet's most unforgettable year.
To launch The Last Dance, ESPN wanted to keep fans engaged between weekly episodes. Rather than simply promoting the series, we gave people a way to step back into the world it celebrated.
We built House of '98, an interactive digital experience that recreated the internet as it looked, sounded, and felt in 1998. Every detail, from the clunky navigation and dial-up aesthetics to the music, magazines, wallpapers, and banner ads, was designed to transport fans back to the cultural moment surrounding Michael Jordan's final championship season.
The experience brought together exclusive video, original editorial content, music, merchandise, and interactive nostalgia in one place, giving fans new reasons to return every week while the series unfolded.
More than a microsite, House of '98 became an extension of The Last Dance, proving that nostalgia is most powerful when people can experience it, not just remember it.
Client
ESPN
Agency
R/GA New York
Role
Senior Art Director
Contribution
— Co-developed the concept with my creative partner, Rowan Mansfield, recreating the internet as it existed in 1998 and transforming ESPN's The Last Dance into an interactive digital experience.
— Led the visual design, recreating the look and feel of the late-'90s internet through period-accurate interfaces, banner ads, graphics, and interactions.
— Directed the recreation of era-specific details, from archived ESPN Magazine covers to fictional 1998 banner ads, to make the nostalgia feel real rather than referenced.
— Worked across design and development to integrate editorial content, archival assets, music, and interactive features into a seamless experience.
— Art directed the experience from concept through launch, helping bring one of the internet's most nostalgic recreations to life.
THE EXPERIENCE
The experience recreated the web as millions of people remembered it, complete with period-correct design, interactions, and cultural references.Visitors could explore exclusive footage, browse archived ESPN Magazine covers, read original stories from The Undefeated, discover music from the era, download wallpapers, and even click banner ads for fictional 1998 products.
