Bandana Fever

Last night, Jordan Brand, a division of NIKE, Inc., unveiled its latest chapter of the “Become Legendary” national brand campaign, entitled “Nightmares Never Sleep” starring Team Jordan and All-Star athlete Dwyane Wade.

“Nightmares Never Sleep” headlines an integrated marketing campaign debuting the AIR JORDAN 2010 worn by Dwyane Wade in the ad. The television spot takes viewers to another world view of a basketball player’s “nightmares” when dealing with the unstoppable, All-Star Dwyane Wade on-court during an intense basketball game. Wade will be the first Team Jordan athlete to debut the AIR JORDAN 2010 on-court during this year’s All-Star weekend.

“We chose the ‘Nightmares Never Sleep’ spot to debut the AIR JORDAN 2010 and to show how unstoppable Dwyane Wade is as a basketball player,” said Sean Tresvant, Marketing Director for Jordan Brand. “The ad also continues the Brand’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of the AIR JORDAN basketball shoe.”

Created by W&K New York, “Nightmares Never Sleep” will air today on major networks including ESPN, TNT, ABC, and in cinemas nationwide.  Print ads will also be featured in Antenna, RISE, Slam, XXL, Dime, Bounce and Sole Collector in upcoming January-March issues.

The integrated ad campaign will also be fully complemented with a digital presence, created by Blast Radius, for www.Jumpman23.com, as well as in-store retail marketing and consumer events throughout 2010.

Last night, Jordan Brand, a division of NIKE, Inc., unveiled its latest chapter of the “Become Legendary” national brand campaign, entitled “Nightmares Never Sleep” starring Team Jordan and All-Star athlete Dwyane Wade.

“Nightmares Never Sleep” headlines an integrated marketing campaign debuting the AIR JORDAN 2010 worn by Dwyane Wade in the ad. The television spot takes viewers to another world view of a basketball player’s “nightmares” when dealing with the unstoppable, All-Star Dwyane Wade on-court during an intense basketball game. Wade will be the first Team Jordan athlete to debut the AIR JORDAN 2010 on-court during this year’s All-Star weekend.

“We chose the ‘Nightmares Never Sleep’ spot to debut the AIR JORDAN 2010 and to show how unstoppable Dwyane Wade is as a basketball player,” said Sean Tresvant, Marketing Director for Jordan Brand. “The ad also continues the Brand’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of the AIR JORDAN basketball shoe.”

Created by W&K New York, “Nightmares Never Sleep” will air today on major networks including ESPN, TNT, ABC, and in cinemas nationwide.  Print ads will also be featured in Antenna, RISE, Slam, XXL, Dime, Bounce and Sole Collector in upcoming January-March issues.

The integrated ad campaign will also be fully complemented with a digital presence, created by Blast Radius, for www.Jumpman23.com, as well as in-store retail marketing and consumer events throughout 2010.

Today, Jordan Brand, a division of NIKE, Inc., announced the upcoming launch of its 25th anniversary AIR JORDAN 2010 shoe. Celebrating a quarter-century of innovative design and genre-inspiring style, Jordan Brand created the AIR JORDAN 2010 to pay respect to the legacy of Michael Jordan in basketball while passing on the heritage of the sport to the talented Team Jordan athletes, such as Dwyane Wade, who will be the first to debut the AIR JORDAN 2010.

“The celebration of the AIR JORDAN 2010 and our 25th anniversary are the pinnacle of a year full of milestones for me,” said Michael Jordan.  “With each shoe, consumers have pushed me to take the next AIR JORDAN beyond their wildest imagination. The AIR JORDAN 2010 marks the future of Jordan Brand and proves there are no limits to what this Brand is capable of creating.”

Acclaimed shoe designers Tinker Hatfield, Vice President of Special Projects/Design for NIKE and Mark Smith, Creative Director for Jordan Brand, collaborated with Michael Jordan on the AIR JORDAN 2010, taking the literal interpretation of Jordan’s ability to see through his opponents by creating the Brand’s first see-through performance basketball shoe featuring a unique transparent thermoplastic urethane (TPU) window.

“The AIR JORDAN 2010 pays homage to Jordan’s ability to know his opponents next move while only giving hints of his ability and allowing the players to only see what he wanted them to see on the court,” said Tinker Hatfield. “His keen instinct for anticipating his challengers’ next move and disguising his own techniques are just a few of the attributes that led to him being named the greatest basketball player ever to play the game.”

To assist all basketball players’ game while wearing the shoe, Hatfield and Smith also designed the AIR JORDAN 2010 with a revolutionary new concept to performance basketball footwear – a layered toe construction that has an independent forefoot support cover. This innovative design technique allows the AIR JORDAN 2010 to mimic an actual foot’s flexibility and movement without being restricted by the shoe’s structures, assisting in a player’s ability to be more agile in the game.

Since 1984 when Jordan wore the first AIR JORDAN sneaker, AIR JORDAN has become one of the world’s most recognizable franchises known for its signature Jumpman logo, innovative performance technology and fashion-forward style memorializing the sneakers into popular culture history. Jordan Brand has adapted the AIR JORDAN to the changing fashion landscape in its 25 years, utilizing the importance of green technology by making the AIR JORDAN XX3, AIR JORDAN 2009 and now the AIR JORDAN 2010 under Nike’s Considered Design ethos of combining sustainability with performance and innovation. 

Jordan Brand launches the AIR JORDAN 2010 nationwide on Saturday, February 13, 2010 for a suggested retail price of $170. Retailer information can be found at www.Jumpman23.com.

NIKE, Inc. today introduced the Air Max LeBron VII, the latest and most innovative shoe in LeBron James’ signature line, at a global media summit in Akron, Ohio featuring James and performance footwear designer Jason Petrie. The Air Max LeBron VII is designed to deliver maximum comfort and stability. It features an innovative, basketball-specific Max Air unit, a cushioning first for the company, and a Flywire engineered upper using higher tensile-strength cable than in previous performance basketball shoes. “The new LeBron VII takes my signature line to a new level of innovation,” said LeBron James. “As the demands of my game evolve and increase, Nike consistently designs and develops shoes helping drive my on-court success.” The Air Max LeBron VII will be available globally beginning October 24, with a suggested retail price of $160 USD. “When designing the Air Max LeBron VII, we envisioned a shoe that was both strong and comfortable,” said Jason Petrie, Nike Footwear Designer. “We delivered a shoe that is a perfect combination of superior performance and luxurious style, embodying LeBron himself.” Comfort Revolution Nike’s first basketball-specific Max Air 360 unit is designed and engineered for the multi-directional movements of the modern basketball player. This basketball-specific Air-Sole unit contains 80 percent more air than the previous full-length unit for ultimate comfort. The Max Air 360 unit is strategically contoured with a thinner forefoot and deeper heel placing cushioning where it is needed most. Moving upward from the court floor, the insole and upper of the shoe match the mid-sole’s innovation. The seamless integrated inner-sleeve not only makes for a comfortable ride with no irritation, but also provides the lockdown support basketball players covet. Nike’s Flywire technology, first introduced in the highly successful Nike Hyperdunk shoe, provides support without adding unnecessary weight by integrating tensile fibers with a minimal use of materials. Its crisscross lineage not only provides basketball specific stability, but also creates a diamond pattern that LeBron has asked be integrated into his signature footwear and apparel lines each year. Heritage The Air Max LeBron VII pays homage to the sport of basketball and reflects the personality of LeBron. On the outsole, five flex grooves represent the five players on the court while 23 stripes in the midsection represent LeBron’s number. The outsole also features a 3D decoder key which, when the shoe is rotated, displays LeBron’s credos – Passion, Fearless, Tradition, Community, Family, Loyalty – and other key call outs from LeBron’s life. Additionally, the seven Flywire strands on the tongue of the shoe represents the Air Max LeBron VII as the seventh shoe in the signature series. This same call-out is repeated with the V-shaped metal eyelets on the top of the shoe and Roman numeral II embossed directly underneath it. Craftsmanship The Air Max LeBron VII is constructed with a full-grain leather upper and patent leather throughout, giving it a plush feel and luxurious aesthetic. The goal was to bring the highest quality detailing to LeBron’s latest shoe, and this is evident throughout due to its superior design. The Air Max LeBron VII was made for the basketball player who is looking for cushioning and strength with a sense of style. For additional information please visit www.nikebasketball.com (consumers) or www.nikemedia.com (journalists).