NBA Marketing Notes: Kyrie is "Professor Irving" In Ad Accompanying Release of New Shoes
In Cleveland, Chris Fedor noted Nike yesterday "unveiled" the character "Professor Irving" in a commercial spot accompanying Cavaliers G Kyrie Irving's new signature shoe, the Kyrie 2, "which is now available in stores." Professor Irving "uses math to promote the new sneakers." The Kyrie 2s "share some similar design elements with the first edition, but the upper part of the shoe has been completely redesigned with a radial pattern on the sides and a strap across the front" (CLEVELAND.com, 12/15).
JERSEY SCORE: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a podcast with SI.com's Chris Mannix said the idea of having advertising on jerseys allows a "new set of companies to become fully vested in our league." Silver said, "When those companies become vested in us, they then use their dollars outside of the NBA to promote the league, and there truly is this multiplier effect by doing it." While continuing to say uniform ads is "something that I continue to look at," Silver noted it is "nothing we’ve agreed to yet." Silver: "We continue to look at it, but it doesn’t bother me so much. ... I’m very mindful of what people think about it” (“Open Floor,” SI.com, 12/15). Kia during the All-Star Game will become the first non-supplier to have an ad on NBA jerseys (THE DAILY).
WHERE DOES THE BUCK STOP? In Chicago, JB Blanchard noted the Bucks are "looking to milk every dollar possible" from their win Saturday over the then-undefeated Warriors, "creating a T-shirt saying 'Buck Stops Here: Streak Busters.'" Blanchard wrote that while there is no doubt that some Bucks fans will "purchase the shirt to remember the win, it’s rather pathetic since they are basically admitting that this will be the highlight" of their season. It is hard to "think of another time a team has created a shirt in honor of an insignificant regular season game" (SUNTIMES.com, 12/15).
FAST PASS: ReplyBuy and the Hornets announced a partnership that enables fans to purchase and receive game tickets via text message. The program is called Hornets Fast Pass. The Hornets are the 11th NBA team to partner with ReplyBuy, which currently has agreements with more than 70 professional sports teams, venues and colleges (Hornets).
