Jordan Brand is Marketing ‘40 Years of Greatness’ for Generations Old and New
In 1984, Chicago Bulls rookie Michael Jordan signed a five-year, $2.5 million deal with Nike. A year later, the sports giant unveiled the Air Jordan, a sneaker that launched a franchise and redefined athlete endorsements across basketball, entertainment, streetwear, and fashion.
Now, Jordan Brand is marking its 40th anniversary with a year-long marketing campaign loaded with activations, product launches, and ad spots designed to engage old fans and recruit new ones.
“The goal with ‘40 Years of Greatness’ was to bring back that emotive storytelling,” chief marketing officer (CMO) Caitlin Sargent told ADWEEK. “I would say the Jordan Brand is a feeling. It’s not about just selling shoes, it’s about this idea of selling hope.”
Its newest spot, which debuted on July 19, centers the Air Jordan 40 (AJ40), the latest basketball silhouette in the Air Jordan collection.
Created by Wieden+Kennedy, the two-minute ad depicts a pickup game between NBA and WNBA Jordan Brand athletes such as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams, who show no mercy to their average opponents.
Mid-game, the spot turns into a mini musical with the non-professional players singing their rendition of “It’s the Hard Knock Life” from the 1977 Broadway musical Annie.
The AJ40 launch marks the “culminating moment” for the brand’s “40 Years of Greatness” campaign, said Sargent. “The strategy on this one was making sure that we’re positioning the shoe for the next generation,” she said.
40 Years of Greatness
Having climbed the marketing ranks at parent company Nike since 2006, Sargent was promoted to Jordan Brand’s CMO in February 2024, a time she calls an “inflection point” for the brand as it pivoted its strategy “from transactional to emotive.”
Nike has been reworking its wider marketing strategy to regain its spark following years of sluggish sales. Jordan Brand has felt this pinch too. In the 12 months to May, it posted $7.3 billion in revenue, marking a 16% decrease year-over-year.
During its latest earnings call, chief executive officer (CEO) Elliott Hill said Nike brands will shift their focus from lifestyle marketing to performance wear through a new strategy called “Sport Offense.”
The push will drive distinction within its key sports, such as running, training, and basketball, through storytelling marketing efforts.
