‘Air’ will star in the cast with big names, such as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Viola Davis, and will debut on April 5 in the U.S.
The powerful collaboration between Michele Giordano And Nike – and which led to the birth of one of the most iconic sneakers in the world – will arrive in US theaters on April 5 and, shortly after, the film will be added to the Prime Video catalog.
The relationship started in 1984 when the rising star in NBA teamed up with the sporting goods brand to reshape the Jumpman’s silhouette into a bold new design. The release allowed Nike, known for its running shoes, to break new ground in other sports, including basketball, a mode with little investment from the brand at the time.
“Michael Jordan, especially after his meeting with Nike, has a partnership that is very marked by the cultural impact it has had. Nike at the time did not invest adequately in basketball, Jordan was a rookie who had preferences for adidas and opted, in a way very punctual situation, in going to Nike, even against his own expectations” said Bruno Maia, CEO of Feel The Matchdeveloper of intellectual properties focused on streaming and blockchain, and leader of innovation and new technologies in sports and entertainment.
The partnership was a gamble by executive Sonny Vaccaro who, under pressure to reduce Converse’s popularity advantage among the basketball crowd, pinch-hit that year’s NBA draft third pick, Michael Jordan, selected by the Chicago Bulls. The team was one of the worst in the league, but the status would soon change due to the presence of the star.
“It takes a moment when Nike is growing, with some up-and-coming American ad agencies and some major publicists partnering with Spike Lee and a slew of content marking the late 80s, and this meets the early 90s. l internationalization of the NBA, with the story of Magic Johnson and the whole change of guard from him to Michael Jordan, as well as that impact on the internationalization that the NBA underwent in the 90s. There is also the factor of these great meetings and that it is driven a lot by the pop culture that has given a lot of breath to the partnership between Nike and Jordan,” explained Bruno Maia.
Despite all the commercial success, tennis was banned by David Stern, then commissioner of the NBA, for violating the league’s color rules. From then on, all players had to wear white shoes, if they did not comply with the determination, a US$5,000 (R$25,000) fine would be applied. The date of the determination was marked with #MJDay and is celebrated annually.
After the first Nike Air Jordan, 34 more models were released. With some pieces worth thousands of reais, tennis amasses fans all over the world.
“Certainly it is one of the most impactful partnerships in the history of global advertising, I even struggle to remember a duo between brands and influencers that has achieved as much synergy and cultural impact as Michael Jordan and Nike,” added Bruno Maia. “After Jordan stopped playing, he’s always been really mindful of his image. He doesn’t care about anything. We don’t see Jordan wearing down his image in little things, he just does big, skilled projects.”
THE FILM
Among the big names who participated in the film, Ben Affleck, in addition to directing, participating in the script and producing, will also be the protagonist of Phil Knight, co-founder of the brand. Matt Damon, who is also writing the script, will play Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. Michael Jordan’s mother will be represented by Viola Davis, completing the Oscar-winning trio.
The production is Artists Equity’s first project, by Affleck and Damon, in partnership with Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures. The ESPN documentary Sole Man, which tells Vaccaro’s story, is the basis for the film.
For Bruno Maia, the series The Last Danceseries broadcast by Netflix, was the great milestone for the launch of other projects, such as the film Air. “Thanks to the work Jordan’s film did at the time, and what happened for me and from the perspective of other content producers and entrepreneurs in the area, to see in sports a new moment of language and economics. This new film He’s very cool and keeps everyone on edge. He’s got what it takes to be extraordinary, someone from the historic relevance between Nike and Jordan that speaks for itself.”
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
