Kendrick Lamar
CREATIVE DIRECTION & PRODUCTION DESIGN ©2025
For the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, Mike co-creative directed and designed with frequent collaborators Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar on the record-breaking performance. The show became the most-watched TV performance in history with over 133.5 million viewers, breaking the record held by Michael Jackson and surpassing the viewership of the game itself. The performance incorporated theatrical dialogue, clever cinematography, and unique production design that supported the narrative of the "Great American Game," featuring appearances from Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams. Mike's creative studio, ThankYou92, also creative produced and provided design and production support for the performance.
Credits
Creative Direction: Mike Carson, Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Production Design: Mike Carson & Dave Free
Production Design: Bruce Rodgers for Tribe Design
Serviced by pgLang
Director: Hamish Hamilton & Dave Free
Choreographer: Charm La'Donna
Creative & Design Support: Thank You 92
TY92 Producer: Valtteri Laihanen
TY92 Creative Consultants: Curtis Taylor, Jr & Omar Rajput
TY92 Art Director: Jack Headford
TY92 Visualization: Randy Cano | TY92 Creative Assistant: Mo Rezk
EPs: Jesse Collins, Roc Nation & Dave Free
Co-EPs: Dionne Harmon, Dave Meyers, Anthony Saleh, Cornell Brown
Producers: Jana Fleishman & Aaron Cooke
Lighting Design: Al Gurdon & Cory Fitzgerald
Music Direction: Tony Russell & Kendrick Lamar
Associate Dir: Hayley Collett
Editor: Guy Harding | Dir. Associate: Cam Whitelaw
Head of Wardrobe: Karizza Sanchez | KL Stylist: Taylor Mcneill | BG Stylist: Jess Willis
DP Consultant: Adam Newport-Berra | DP: Dylan Sanford
Special Thanks to The Entire pgLang Team, Roc Nation, DPS, Apple Music and Everyone who contributed!
Photo Credit: Greg Noire, Polk Imaging, Cindy Ord, Timothy A. Clark, Getty Images, AP and More.
Mike Carson ©2020
Multidisciplinary Creative