This is back from 2009, but it’s worth noting that some brands are irreplaceable. Since Michael Jordan is turning 50 come this February 17th, I thought I’d commemorate His Airness by commenting on Jordan’s revolutionizing of athlete branding.
Brand Value? It was in 2009 that the Air Jordan brand surpassed the $1 billion mark, making him the first athlete to reach that milestone.
Jordan didn’t even want to wear Nike shoes when he began his career; he was an Adidas guy. The problem was that Adidas never offered Jordan an endorsement.
As a result of Nike’s investment in Jordan, companies from Gatorade to Kia scout for talent to endorse their products (have you seen those fantastic Blake Griffin commercials put out by Kia?).
Happy Birthday, Michael. I’m sorry that ESPN keeps asking viewers if Lebron is better than you, but I’m glad that 67% said that you’d beat The King in a first-to-eleven, make-it-take-it pickup game.
Image Source: Space Jam.
