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Blake Griffin, Jimmy Butler Highlight Jordan Brand Campaign Around "Space Jam" Shoes

Jordan Brand releases the Space Jam 11 shoe Dec. 10 for the 20th anniversary of the '96 release of "Space Jam" the movie, part of an "integrated global marketing campaign that sought to leverage the Space Jam mystique in pursuit of at least four key goals," according to Ben Golliver of SI.com. Those goals are "reaching younger consumers; tapping the original film for retro sneakers and apparel designs; cross-promoting its latest flagship sneaker, the Jordan 31; and giving a high-profile stage to two key endorsers," Clippers F Blake Griffin and Bulls G Jimmy Butler. The centerpiece of the Space Jam campaign is a 90-second ad which premiered Thursday on TNT’s NBA double-header and NBC’s "TNF." In the spot, the evil “Monstars” from Space Jam "seek vengeance for their loss to Jordan and the Toon Squad by returning to threaten life, liberty and the future of basketball." Griffin and Butler are "cast as the leaders of a resistance against a foe." While Butler "casts a more ominous figure, Griffin functions as a more traditional Warner Bros. superhero." The ad's director Angus Wall has "worked on Nike and Jordan ads" dating back to “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood” in the '90s. The Space Jam 11s are "noticeably downplayed in the ad, appearing only briefly in a glass case about halfway through." Instead, the ad "pushes Space Jam versions of the 31, Butler’s shoe, and a Space Jam apparel line that includes t-shirts and sweat suits." When it came time to "decide who should front the Space Jam campaign, Griffin and Butler made for a natural pairing." Both are "in their primes," and both "play in big markets." Jordan Brand "tested the waters with a shorter Space-Jam themed ad starring Griffin last year" (SI.com, 12/1).

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