As Nike prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the shoe and player that ostensibly put the brand on the map, the Air Jordan 1, they’ve been releasing a string of films to tease not just the monumental milestone, but also the controversy that sparked its success.
On December 23, the brand released Origin Story, an animated film detailing the legend of how the then-rookie was banned by the NBA from wearing his namesake shoe because of its color, and fined as a result — prompting Nike founder, Phil Knight, to pay the fine and use the ban as a golden marketing opportunity to promote the sneaker. When Jordan was finally able to wear the shoe during the league’s All-Star Game dunk contest, public response and demand reached stratospheric levels.
The shoe, which officially launched on April 1, 1985, has since birthed a brand that reached $7 billion in sales revenue in fiscal 2024, making it Nike’s best-performing division and a rare bright spot in a year that has seen the company’s overall fortunes take a hit as competition from smaller brands eat away at its once-dominant market share.
The brand recently repeated history by paying the fine of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was slapped with one for wearing Jordans at a press conference, with the Jordan Brand releasing a statement saying, “We’re paying the fine. You can’t ban greatness.”
In addition to the animated film, the brand launched teasers during the NBA Christmas day games and on the Jordan Brand’s socials teasing the upcoming celebrations, which the company said will include a number of activations in the coming days and weeks.
Watchers will be paying close attention to whether the excitement behind the milestone will reverse course for Nike, which stirred some controversy over the summer with its Winning Isn’t for Everyone Paris Olympics campaign. The creative’s tone ruffled some feathers, with some decrying its “lack of sportsmanship,” while others applauded its realistic take on the competitive spirit of an athlete and its attention-grabbing visuals.
