LeBron James and Kevin Hart Reign for Royal Kingdom

Their gamesmanship comes to the fore in funny ads about books and acting

Maybe LeBron James has already read 23 books this year, including Jane Eyre and The Art of War. Or else, he’s using the weighty tomes as cover—er, covers—for playing puzzle game Royal Kingdom.

That glow across his face from the pages is a dead giveaway in this :60 from The Robot Co. and Caviar director Ramy Youssef:

Actually, Dante’s Divine Comedy probably makes more sense upside down:

“With every take, LeBron got more and more into the bit, leveling up the ridiculousness around this age-old internet rumor and building on the lore in his own way,” Robot Co. VP, ECD Chris James tells Muse.

Meanwhile, Kevin Hart employs a tennis ball on a string to teach a method acting class where students attempt to nail the thespian stylings of … Kevin Hart:

“Some of my favorite parts of the final edit for Kevin’s spot were happy accidents that the team spitballed on the fly and let the incredible cast run with,” Chris James recalls.

The campaign seeks to “tap into comedy that feels genuinely authentic to each celebrity,” says Richard Hocking, CMO of Dream Games. “We believe the best stories come from unexpected places. We’re building a brand that lives in culture, not just in ads. And we see work like this as a meaningful step toward that ambition.”

This smart approach lets each subject shine, with humor that hits even though we’ve seen these stars yuck it up in ads a zillion times before.

Look for more spots with LeBron and Kevin through July as work rolls out across TV, digital and social media.