Nike Air Jordan – Behind The Brand

The standard running shoe or sports shoe was mostly white in color, with some small aesthetic additions such as logos, extra tread or support. But all that was about to change with a new player, and a new era of sports marketing.Get more news about mens air jordan shoes on sale,you can vist ajsize.com!

The company originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports, founded by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1964, was renamed Nike after the Greek Goddess of Victory.Their original shoes focused on running and athletics, but soon the crossover began into sports with a more widespread appeal. The iconic Nike swoosh was first introduced in 1971.

In 1972, the world saw the introduction of the iconic Nike Blazer, named for The Portland Trail Blazers, and made famous by George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin. The shoe was an advance in both technology and branding.Nike invested heavily in advancing the technology that made for better performance, something it would continue to be at the forefront of for generations to come. But more than function was the form: the Nike Blazer was an overtly branded shoe, with the swoosh taking up the whole side of the shoe.

Every game that ‘The Iceman’ played in, the cameras focused on him, and his shoes. Every game became an advertisement for Nike Blazers. Soon, a new fascination with sneakers emerged.In 1984, a new player entered the NBA with a future full of promise. From his first season, Michael Jordan was a noticeably talented player. Nike took a risk on the young athlete and signed a unique deal with Jordan to produce his own line of shoes. Jordan ironically had always worn Adidas up until that point but was swayed to the deal after meeting with Nike executives.

The original Air Jordan I sneaker was produced exclusively for Jordan in early 1984 and released to the public in late 1984. With their iconic red and black features, the original shoes were actually banned by the NBA for being too colorful at a time when all shoes were mandatory white.The famous ploy by Nike at the time was to pay the $5000 fine that Jordan received every time he wore the new shoes on the court. This sparked news headlines and was capitalized into a TV advertisement which played off the rebellious aspect of the shoes.

The first 50,000 pairs of Air Jordan’s (known today at Air Jordan I) sold out immediately. This marketing strategy – a quick reaction to the NBA banning – proved to be one of the all-time greatest marketing coups, driving more than $150 million in sales.