Did you see, but did you take a good look?
On the posters and in the trailer for the second part of “Lupine”, the hit Netflix series that returns on June 11, the hero Assane Diop wears them on his feet: the Air Jordan, those famous red and black sneakers.
During his adventures, he changes models according to his desires: AJ1 Fearless OG, Yellow Toe, Jordan 1 Mid Lakers Top 3, Air Jordan 1 Off-White… Fans of sneakers, street sneakers, know what we are talking about .
Omar Sy, who plays Assane Diop, has no paid brand placement deal to steal the queen's necklace with it.
It is just an absolute fade for these shoes.
“I understand it, slips Nicolas Batum, the NBA player of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Myself, I wear Jordan all the time and I am proud of it.
I wear it for the person it represents but also for the comfort of the products and their beauty because they are beautiful objects.
You can have good brands and ugly products.
Not here.
"
"The first African-American to have his brand of shoes"
Michael Jordan presented a new model of his iconic shoe in Hong Kong in 2004. Reuters / Bobby Yip
A brand present on the PSG jersey, to the right of the chest, with the “Jumpman” logo stylizing Michael Jordan flying towards the basket. Since 2018, Jordan Brand has become the equipment supplier of the Parisian club. “The jumper” is also on the jersey of the French basketball team, which set out to conquer the Olympic gold medal. “We provoke jealousy, laughs Nicolas Batum, the captain of the Blues basketball. Many players wanted to exchange my jersey or my T-shirt. Not because it was mine but because of the logo. "
Young, urban, modern, full of color, legendary, the Jordan Brand label created in 1985 is making its mark on the territory.
The Covid has in no way slowed down its ascent: "While two many stores have been closed, promises Craig Williams, the boss of the brand, we have managed to stay close to our consumers digitally and it continues to grow. improve.
"
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In the wake of "The Last Dance", the Netflix series retracing the career of MJ, the market share of the subsidiary of the giant Nike has increased by 80% in France since the broadcast of "Lupine" this winter. At the same time, the Stylight search engine, which specializes in fashion, noted a 460% increase in traffic to Air Jordan 1. “Behind these clothes,” says designer Youssouf Fofana, creator of the Maison Château-Rouge label, he there is a man, a legend that fascinates. He was the first African American to have his brand of shoes. He is an inspiration. Even if we don't like basketball, it fascinates us. Carrying your stuff is the safest way to try and look like him. "
Since the broadcast of the second part of "Lupine" this winter, where we see Omar Sy wearing Air Jordan 1s, Internet traffic to these shoes has jumped.
Netflix / Emmanuel Guimier
That man is Michael Jordan, former Bulls superstar and all-time best basketball player.
Jordan Brand, it's him.
It was for him that the Air Jordan was created in the mid-1980s. Having become objects of worship, the original models are snapped up for thousands of dollars.
On the market, they are available in almost annual versions.
More than 100 million pairs are sold a year around the world.
The sale of the products brought in more than 2.8 billion euros in 2019 and 3.14 billion in 2020 (compared to 2.1 in 2015) for Nike and makes Michael Jordan the first billionaire in the history of sport. The double Olympic champion (1984, 1992) receives between 10 and 20% of royalties on each sale. Thanks to his brand, he received 135 million euros in 2020, much more than when he was the player and the highest paid sportsman on the planet (30 million euros for the 1997-1998 season, that of "The Last Dance ”). Owner of the Charlotte Hornets NBA franchise and a NASCAR stable, US auto racing, father of five children, nicknamed "Yahweh" ("God" in Hebrew) by his bodyguards, Michael Jordan has been retired from the prosecution since 2003.
He is 58 years old, plays golf every day and his personal fortune is estimated at $ 1.3 billion.
Politically neutral for a long time, he has recently become involved in police violence targeting the black community in the United States, and remains one of the most famous but unaffordable personalities on this planet.
"Jordan is a mysterious person who maintains this mystery in his business and his personal life," said Jacques Monclar, the voice of the NBA on BeIN Sports.
"This partnership comes from PSG"
Jordan Brand has partnered since 2018 with PSG, the only football club in the world to be able to wear the iconic logo.
Instagram / k.mbappe
Jordan Brand does not communicate its figures in France, but France is its main playground in Europe. “For having spoken about it a lot with him, Michael Jordan loves Paris, France, the south of France, appreciates Batum, who was his player in Charlotte. He has a special relationship with us. If there was an NBA game in Paris in 2020, it is thanks to him. He did not choose the French Basketball Federation and PSG by chance. France is the biggest NBA market in Europe and a lot of people wear Jordan in France. He knows it very well. "
For three years, Jordan Brand has therefore been dressing PSG, the only football club in the world to be able to wear the iconic logo, which is also displayed on NBA jerseys, some baseball teams, the shirts of certain golfers and rare jerseys. national basketball teams. “This partnership comes from PSG, it was their request, explained Michael Jordan in person, during his visit to Paris in 2020 for an NBA match. Neymar is a big fan of the Jordan brand, so the match was easy. In terms of marketing, Paris represents fashion and I see the Jordan brand as a leisure lifestyle brand. So yes, the partnership was really easy. “He himself came to formalize the marriage in September 2018 by attending a PSG - Reims match at the Parc.
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The two parties discussed for eighteen months before formalizing the partnership.
“As early as 2011, PSG affirmed its desire to become a global brand and to be at the crossroads of sport and
youth culture
in a unique project,” explains Fabien Allègre, director of diversification for the club.
Our more than 100 million fans around the world live PSG and wear our product collections.
For its part, Jordan Brand was seeking to grow and develop its audience in France.
Our positioning makes it an ideal platform to establish its mark in Europe.
"
Read alsoCraig Williams, president of Jordan Brand: "Our relationship with PSG is fantastic"
For three years, the two parties have not regretted their union.
Neither the brand nor the club communicate their sales figures but they are astronomical.
According to our estimates, the PSG has passed this season between 800,000 and 1 million jerseys stamped Jordan, a figure in constant increase.
Even though its dedicated stores in Paris, Seoul, Japan, Doha and now Los Angeles have remained closed due to Covid.
When Qatar bought the club ten years ago, PSG were selling between 300 and 400,000 of their tunics.
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In 2021, PSG are in the top 4 of the clubs that sell the most jerseys in the world with Barça, Bayern and Real. The prestige of its stars has a lot to do with it, but the Jumpman is an accelerator. “When the partnership with PSG was considered, says Nicolas Batum, Jordan Brand asked me for my opinion. I said
go ahead!
by specifying that if they had the PSG with them, they had almost the whole country with them.
"The three-year contract started in 2018 will continue until a date for the moment undetermined:" If we put aside the impact of the Covid crisis on our sales, continues Fabien Allègre, we are very proud of the results obtained.
We knew it would be a success, but maybe not at this level and so consistently.
This has been a tremendous development accelerator in our strategic regions, Asia and the United States.
"
A city brand, popular in the suburbs
A few days ago, Jordan Brand unveiled the new PSG home jersey for the future season. For the first time, the Jumpman will be on the coat of all matches at the Parc des Princes. The supporters reacted, not all are fans but it is the rule of the game: “We have been used, for ten years, to assume our choices in terms of jerseys, continues the director of diversification of PSG. There are those who criticize and those who do. We are seen at PSG as the most innovative, as the first club of the new generation. "
A credo that pleases its partner and is not only reserved for professional sport.
Associated with Quai 54 in Paris, the largest playground basketball tournament in the world, the Jordan brand is first and foremost a city brand, very present in the suburbs.
After China and the United States, it is developing its Jordan Wings project in France to give "young people from the less privileged communities more opportunities to create a better future".
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But in fact, to buy Air Jordan, how much do you have to pay?
Count a big hundred euros to offer you the myth: “At one time, the Air Jordan was considered a luxury product, slips the fashion specialist Youssouf Fofana.
Not anymore: the prices are affordable, comparable to those of other brands.
It's a hit because these are quality products and when you wear them, you have the impression of being in direct connection with MJ.
"
Craig Williams, global brand boss and Jordan's right-hand man, sees this exchange both ways: “You can spread the message: if Jordan Brand and MJ are proud to bring what they can to France, the French and Paris can also be proud of the inspiration they offer us.
Michael Jordan approved this post.