Jordan Brand History (from www.kicksbrand.com)
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In the beginning...
Early in 1984, Nike was a struggling shoe company. The running shoe
phenomenon that has fueled their sales in previous years was slowly
dying and they needed a way to revitalize and reinvent themselves in
order to appeal to another segment of the market. At the same time,
rookie player Michael Jordan was already endorsing several products,
but Nike hoped that his appeal would generate sales. Jordan, though,
had other ideas. He had always preferred Adidas or the Converse shoes
endorsed by North Carolina Coach, Dean Smith, and hoped to sign on
with either company. Converse, with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on
board as spokesmen, were not interested in offering a better deal than
Nike, and Adidas wasn't interested at all at the time; perhaps due to
Kathe Dassler's death the same year. While Jordan, himself, did not
initially see the significance of Nike's offer, his agent, David Falk,
saw a golden opportunity in Nike's offer to create a new line of shoes
called "Air Jordans." and urged him to give Nike a chance.
Really Not That Interested..
At that time, there was not a tremendous impact from a shoe
endorsement, and few companies were willing to risk so much of their
marketing budget to bet on one athlete to promote their products. An
athlete as paid for wearing the products but little else resulted from
an endorsement. It's possible that Jordan's reluctant attitude stemmed
from this fact as much as his allegiance to Converse and Adidas
products.
Nike saw something special in Michael Jordan, though. They saw a
chance, an opportunity. He was a champion with personality, charisma,
and heart, and they were willing to put the company on the line. They
knew from the beginning that he would be a star and wanted to help him
get there. Finally, after much persuasion from his manager and
parents, the reluctant rookie agreed to fly to the Nike headquarters
in Portland, Oregon to view a special video presentation and proposal
though he later stated in retrospect that he went with no intention of
signing with Nike.
The video presentation featured slow-motion clips of Jordan's college
career and some of his high-flying Olympic moves with a background of
then hit music "Jump" by the Pointer Sisters. Nike Head Designer,
Peter Moore presented sketches of AJ1 shoes, jumpsuits, and sports
apparel, all in black and red. Michael's remarks upon seeing the
designs were less than enthusiastic. He is reported to have said,
"I can't wear that shoe, those are Devil colors"
Throughout the entire meeting Jordan was reported to seem
disinterested and bored, but as he and Falk left the meeting, Jordan
said to his agent, "Let's make the deal."
A Legacy (and a Controversy) is Born
With those four words, the Air Jordan legacy was born. Nike signed
Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other
fringe benefits. Peter Moore created the first AJ Logo with a
basketball with wings lifting it. The introduction of the Air Jordan I
turned the athletic shoe industry upside down. Before the AJ I, most
basketball shoes were white, but the bold black and red styling of the
Jordan I flouted this convention. The NBA banned the shoe from the
league in response, but Jordan wore them anyway, racking up serious
fines of up to $5000 a game. Nike, of course, was more than happy to
pay these to keep the shoes on Jordan's feet and in the public eye.
All this controversy and Jordan's spectacular numbers that year served
to put the Air Jordan line on the road to becoming a household name.
Changes
After winning 1986-87 Slam Dunk competition at Seattle Coliseum, the
Jordan logo changed to the familiar Jumpman logo of today, but when it
came time to talk about the Air Jordan III, Michael was ready to bolt.
Reaction to the Air Jordan II, due in part to the high retail price,
hadn't been stellar and designers Peter Moore and Rob Strasser had
left Nike to start their own company. They began to court Jordan,
hoping to develop the business around him This was a turning point for
the line; a make-it-or-break-it moment. It was at this time that
Tinker Hatfield stepped in to help the struggling shoe line.
Immediately, Hatfield did something completely new and unheard of. His
first instinct was to sit down and talk with Michael one on one and
ask for his input about the design. Hatfield has stated that this was
a very tense time. No one had ever approached the business of
designing a shoe like this and Jordan had never had anyone ask his
opinion until that time. Ultimately, though, it was the good advice of
Michael's father that saw it through. It's reported that he advised
his son to stay with the people who had done a good job for him.
Eventually the process of designing the shoes and matching apparel
drew Jordan in and helped reinforce his commitment to Nike. At
Jordan's request, the Air Jordan III was a three-quarter cut
basketball shoe made of high quality, lighter than average materials.
This non-standard approach to the process of designing basketball
shoes led the Air Jordan III to rocket off the charts with its
popularity, and Tinker went on to design all the Jordan models up to
the Jordan XV. With the release of the Air Jordan XV and Jordan's
second retirement, both Hatfield and Jordan stepped back from the
Jordan line and other designers took the reigns to continue to the
legacy.
Moving Out
Air Jordan Shoes were a part of the Nike, Inc. family until late in
1997 Nike unveiled a new marketing plan and Jordan became its own sub-
brand of Nike. To mark this change, the new Jordan Brand released the
Air Jordan XIII, Air Jordan Team, and Air Jordan Trainers. From this
point on, Jordan Brand products no longer featured the Nike name or
Nike Swoosh, and their only connection to Nike,Inc is a fine print
address for Nike headquarters to be used for insurance purposes.
The Shoes Changed the World
Air Jordan shoes have consistently been among the best selling
basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The Jordan brand is a
household name and people of all ages and social strata line up
eagerly for the release of the latest model. Some of this success can
be attributed to the fact that the shoes, from the Jordan III to the
most recent model, have always started with their namesake, Michael
Jordan. The designers take his ideas, hobbies, and life into account
and incorporate these feelings into the shoes. A number of Jordans
have been designed after Jordan's cars and some of the more recent
models, like the Jordan XXI (Jordan 21) on the way, some wonder when
the Air Jordan line will be retired while others speculate that, in
honor of the man, the last Air Jordan will be the Jordan XXIII (Jordan
23). No matter what happens to the signature Air Jordan line, it's a
good bet that the brand and its tradition of quality, high-fashion
basketball and athletic shoes will continue long after Air Jordans
have retired.
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