Jordan Brand: Brand Positioning Case Study

💼 The brand: Jordan

💛 The empathy: People want a shoe that makes them feel like an athlete, not just look like one.

☀️ The emotion: Inspiring. Strong. Nostalgic.

💡 The idea: How Jordan did a ballet move that turned into the Jumpman logo

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You’ve probably heard a picture is worth a thousand words.

But what about: A logo is worth a billion dollars? Make that $5B.

Time for a story about the GOAT and the surprising origins of Jumpman logo…

The Jumpman logo is one of the most iconic of all time. But not everything Jordan touched turned to gold... at least at first.

Jordan’s first 2 shoes were released w/ the wings logo. Sales weren’t great either.

The Jordan II was being marked down to the $20 clearance racks when the Jordan III and the iconic Jumpman logo was born.

So what happened that made Jordan’s brand and the Jumpman logo explode?

A simple idea involving a ballet move. Yes, really.

During a photo shoot, a young Michael Jordan was mimicking a ballet jump (grand jeté) when this photo was snapped by Peter Moore in 1985:

But it didn’t explode in popularity until 3 years later when the famous Nike designer Tinker Hatfield got his hands on it.

Tinker took the photo and had another idea. What if he turned that photo into a logo?

What else could represent the aspirations of young athletes better than a full-send dunk pose? Nothing. That’s what.

Tinker sketched out the image below and the rest was history.

Since 1988 and the release of the Jordan III (featuring the Jumpman logo), billions of dollars have been made. But not because of the picture or even the logo. It’s because of the emotions that are elicited.

When people see that logo, they see themselves in the story of Jordan. They feel inspired, nostalgic, and athletic.

Nike knows this and it’s why they’ve been doubling down on it since the late 80’s. With Kobe, Lebron, Zion, and more — they’re committed to sponsoring not just the most talented athletes — but those with the most electric stories.

Some call it a shoe deal. Nike calls it lightning in a bottle.

⚡️Idea Inspiration

• Magic can happen when you combine 2 seemingly different concepts (ballet + basketball)
• Be brave enough to take an idea from good to great (Tinker turning the iconic photo into a logo)
• Empathy can even be applied in creating a logo. Tinker knew that the Jumpman would elicit emotion. What emotions are your brand assets eliciting? 

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