Teens, and high-level high school athletes in particular, are always looking for opportunities to add to their own personal ‘brand’ in social media by showcasing the values, access, and products that differentiate them from their peers. At the same time, their distrust in advertising, in particular influencer based advertising in social media, has limited brands’ ability to make authentic connections with them – because any allegiance can be bought. We saw a way to resolve both of these tensions for Jordan Brand by giving Jordan Brand high school athletes unique opportunities to build their brand through product, content, and experiences that we delivered to them. The custom-branded gear was both unique in its design (with the school's colors/logos) while also remaining part of a larger whole (the Class of XXXI). This combination helped establish the unique flavor of each school while also helping individuals identify with the larger campaign.

Thousands of pieces of apparel were distributed to high school athletes around the country, introducing them to the Class of XXXI in a personalized, exciting way. To kick off their basketball season, surprise product drops were orchestrated prior to players’ first game in locker rooms, with several lucky schools also getting a large-scale event unveiling their new Jordan Brand uniforms and gear. The customized product roll out continued throughout the season, with in-gym banners, letterman jackets, ties, hats, t-shirts, beanies, and more getting to our athletes in key points throughout their seasons (rivalry week, senior night, etc.). The emotional connection and intrinsic value of our gear helped Jordan Brand become a memorable part of the Class of XXXI’s year-long journey.

Over the course of the basketball season, more than 2,000 pieces of product were handed out to 200+ athletes at 19 schools across the country. The distribution of product led to over 45MM impressions on tweeted/shared #ClassOfXXXI social posts from over 6,000 unique accounts - spearheaded by athletes’ eagerness to share their swag across platforms. These highly influential but (typically) reluctant athletes became de-facto brand ambassadors for our campaign, showcasing the brand on a grassroots level to their peers as well as extending it to the environment teens spend the most time - social media. The success of the campaign helped drive sales of Class of XXXI product at the retail location of the Jordan Brand Classic basketball tournament, where a custom pop-up shop sold exclusive Class Of XXXI gear.