adidas Gets Its T-Mac On All Over Atlanta; Other Shoe News

T-Mac Looks Like The Big Ticket In Atlanta

Despite adidas losing Lakers G Kobe Bryant last summer, the company "believes it has found its savior" in Magic G Tracy McGrady, according to Boaz Herzog of the Portland OREGONIAN. With the NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta this weekend, adidas "has blanketed Atlanta billboards, subway stops and buildings with T-Mac images." adidas Basketball PR Manager Travis Gonzolez said, "The year before, we didn't have the presence like this, and as a brand we didn't feel we had the ability to make a presence." adidas category manager for basketball Marc Clinard, on losing Bryant: "You go from possibly having two successes to one success. Now, you kind of put all your eggs in one basket with Tracy." Herzog noted McGrady's signature T-Mac 2 shoes hit stores last November, and "so far, the company has sold more than 1 million pairs, nearly three times as many as the original T-Mac." The Finish Line President & CEO Alan Cohen "ranks the T-Mac on par with Nike's Vince Carter Shox shoes and Reebok's Allen Iverson shoe — a tough feat." The T-Mac 3 is slated for an autumn launch (OREGONIAN, 2/6). In Atlanta, Jack Wilkinson writes that adidas' signage featuring McGrady in Atlanta includes a "striking banner, 15 stories high, draped on the side of the Omni Hotel expansion now under construction" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/7). McGrady is featured in the latest issue of GQ magazine (GQ, 2/'03 issue). Meanwhile, adidas announced today that they have signed a multi-year partnership with Spurs C Tim Duncan. Duncan was previously wearing Nike (THE DAILY).

NIKE: Brand Jordan will release its new $175 Air Jordan XVIII on Saturday, with Jordan sporting the shoes during Sunday's game. To support the launch, Brand Jordan is running an 18-page ad unit in pubs such as ESPN Magazine, SLAM and The Source (Brand Jordan)....In its latest series of TV and print ads, Nike pits Sonics G Gary Payton against Mavericks G Steve Nash, as well as Spurs G Tony Parker versus Nets G Jason Kidd. The ad, via Wieden & Kennedy, plays to a soundtrack recorded by hip-hop band The Neptunes. The spots were directed by Phil Hunter, who also directed Nike's "Freestyle" spot in '01. The 60-second and 30-second spots will break tomorrow and run through March (Nike).

REEBOK: Reebok will break a new ad this weekend featuring several All-Stars and the music of hip-hop recording artist Jay-Z (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/7).

NOTES: In Denver, Marc Spears writes that Nuggets F Nene Hilario, a native of Brazil, "plans to take advantage of this weekend's media attention" around the All-Star Game. Hilario's agent, Michael Coyne, said that Hilario's schedule "is booked solid today and Sunday in media interviews as well as meetings with corporate representatives about possible endorsement deals." Coyne: "The endorsement opportunities are going to take some time. He does play for Denver, they are not winning and they are only on TV three times in Brazil" (DENVER POST, 2/7)....In Atlanta, Shelley Emling writes that the NBA Store in N.Y. "is enjoying strong sales despite a sluggish economy." NBA Manager of Strategic and Corporate Communications Matt Bourne declined to release complete sales figures, but he said that sales "had risen 45[%] since October compared with the same time last year" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/7).