Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room: A Marketing Case Study

Air Jordan and Trophy Room teamed up once again to create the greatest one-two punch in sneaker marketing history. The new Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room was paired with a must-see marketing campaign that left its audience craving for its release. But what were the winning strategies that fostered this incredible marketing campaign, and how does this sneaker perfectly capture the Jordan 1’s 40 year history? This marketing case study uncovers the Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room, its marketing campaign, and why this sneaker sold out amidst its controversial past.

History of Trophy Room

Marcus Jordan son of National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Michael Jordan, is the founder of Trophy Room, a sneaker boutique from Orlando, Florida. After playing basketball at the University of Central Florida, Marcus founded Trophy Room in 2016. Its first retail location opened in Disney Springs of that year, and would remain there until 2019 before the store relocated within greater Orlando.

Since its founding in 2016, Trophy Room has collaborated with Air Jordan on 12 different occasions with resell prices ranging from $200 dollars to over $2000 dollars. The sneakers tend to stick to the Chicago-theme color blocking of black, red, and white, and it's no different for its most recent collaboration on the Air Jordan 1 low.

Breaking Down the Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room

The Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room took inspiration from Michael Jordan’s 1986 Fleer rookie card and an iconic picture of Jordan mini-golfing in his Chicago Bulls warmup. But despite the old school inspiration, this sneaker features premium materials and special edition packaging to further illustrate the rich history behind the sneaker.

The shoe is wrapped in a plush, sail upper that is accented by satin that runs around the toe box, eyelets, and even the Nike swoosh. In addition, the Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room features one-of-a-kind details like a stitched Trophy Room logo along the front panel, an embroidered Michael Jordan signature near the heel, a gold wings logo along the back of the shoe, and mismatched insoles representing the vibrant colors on Jordan’s Fleer rookie card.

But the quality doesn't stop there. In fact, the Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room’s box and packaging makes it feel like you’re opening a time machine. The box’s chilled effect, along with the Trophy Room logos, further illustrate the sneaker’s inspiration and history, while also building anticipation for what’s inside. Once opened, the sneakers are wrapped in a clear, plastic sleeve, which is decorated in 80’s themed wrapping paper hinting at Jordan’s rookie card. Needless to say, customers are not only left in awe upon seeing the packaging, but also have their breath taken away upon seeing the sneakers.

Trophy Room's Marketing Campaign

This short film perfectly captures the inspiration and feeling of owning the Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room. The 90’s style video isn’t necessarily for viewers to reminisce on Jordan’s battles with the great NBA giants, although hard not to. Instead, it shows how a modern sneaker can still be part of sneaker and sports history, even 38 years later.

However, where this short film excelled was its emotional appeal to its target audience. The card holder was the only one that could own the Air Jordan 1 low x Trophy Room; and not only was he excited about owning the shoes, but also expressed a level of gratitude for having the exclusive privilege. This short film illustrated that it’s more than just owning a Michael Jordan rookie card, its about carrying his legacy that goes well beyond his years in the league. In fact, the video concludes by the cardholder playing basketball in the city; but more specifically, replicating Jordan signature dunk in the 1988 slam dunk contest.

Unveiling the Winning Strategies

The Air Jordan 1 Low x Trophy Room had a powerful marking camping the left most sneakerheads, resellers, and fans in starstruck. This is by no accident, and here are the prominent factors that prove it.

- Leveraged Strong Media Outlets: With its target audience spending most of its time on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, Trophy Room understood its marketing campaign would perform best if it focused on these specific channels. In addition to posting product photos, Trophy Room also catered to its audience by creating a condensed version of the short-film, fitting within the 60 second window for Instagram reels and other deliverables. Moreover, narrowing the scope of media channels helped Trophy Room to amplify its messaging and impressions for its collaboration with Jordan Brand. Trophy Room’s strategy is exactly what Adidas and Anthony Edwards needed to do for the AE 1, which I have linked right here if you haven’t read it yet.

- Showcased the ENTIRE Product: Since 99% of marketing campaigns neglect to highlight the product packaging, this gave the Air Jordan 1 low x Trophy Room a significant advantage when it came to its marketing. Towards the end of the video, Trophy Room made a critical, yet excellent, decision to display the sneaker, its shoebox, and its product packaging placed on the inside. This strategy not only showcases the entire product, but reveal the entire experience of purchasing, unboxing, and wearing the Air Jordan 1 low x Trophy Room.

Trophy Room's Achilles Heel

Despite an incredible marketing campaign and even better sneaker, Trophy Room is still haunted by its infamous, rumored backdooring scandal back in 2021. When the Air Jordan 1 x Trophy Room ‘Chicago’ released in February, Trophy Room held a 90 minute raffle for the sneakers so customers could have a fair chance of grabbing the shoe. However, its heavily rumored that resellers had access to the shoes well before the public release, resulting in them pillaging thousands of pairs for retail, ultimately preventing collectors and fans from purchasing the sneakers.

While this didn’t happen with the new collaboration, most were questioning if it were to happen once again. Trophy Room and Jordan have done other collaborations since then like the Air Jordan 7, but rebuilding a brand’s reputation takes time. Patience is an essential ingredient to any brand, campaign, or great product, and Trophy Room is well into its rebuild to help solidify stronger reputations and product releases.

Conclusion