Nike GT Hustle 2 'Victor Wembanyama': A Marketing Case Study

Nike created a once-in-a-lifetime marketing campaign that revolved around Victor Wembanyama and his new signature sneaker. After the San Antonio Spurs star won the NBA’s Kia Rookie of the Year award, he continues to make headlines after his marketing campaign soared into another realm. But what practices attributed to this colossal success, and how did Nike go the extra mile with its newest athlete? This marketing case study breaks down Victor Wembanyama’s first Nike sneaker, its marketing campaign, and how Nike leveraged a generational marketing strategy that resulted in millions of revenue.

How Wemby Rakes Millions For & From Nike

Before Wemby was the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, he had already signed his first contract with Nike while he was playing professional basketball overseas in France. Wemby is the first player to sign a contract with Nike before getting drafted since longtime superstar LeBron James in 2003. While the actual amount isn’t confirmed, its rumored that Wemby’s contract is worth over $100 million dollars. In fact, Nike was willing to do anything to sign the generational talent, even going to lengths to hand Wemby a ‘blank check’ for him to determine the cost of his contract.

Wemby also generates revenue for Nike by not only brining in fans to watch the San Antonio Spurs, but also through jersey sales. Despite being a rookie, Wemby ranked fourth among all active players in jersey sales during the 2023 - 2024 season (only behind Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Jayson Tatum). Fortunately for Wemby, this ranking will only climb higher as he continues to expand his generational talent while older player begin to consider retirement.

Highly Anticipated, yet Heavily Rumored

Since Wemby began his contract with Nike, fans have been eagerly waiting for his signature shoe to release to the public. It wasn’t long before the rumors began swirling when Nike held its athlete event in Paris before the upcoming summer olympics. At the event, Nike showcased its newest product innovations that were worn by its most prominent athletes. Of course, Nike’s new shoes drew in the most attention, ranging from several sports like track & field, football, basketball, and more. The craziest part? All of the sneakers on display were designed by Nike’s artificial intelligence, with every sneaker having a futuristic, performance-optimizing silhouette. The basketball sneaker “designed for Victor Wembanyama” was simply a rumor, which fans were relieved since the sneaker had an unique shape that most weren’t delighted towards.

Just a few months later, Nike would introduced Wemby’s confirmed signature player exclusive (PE) sneaker. Wemby’s Air Zoom G.T. Hustle released on May 15 for $170 dollars, and features new colorways and combinations that we have never seen before. Wemby’s PE plays into the alien, paranormal theme by incorporating his alien logo throughout the sneaker. In addition to the green galaxy overlay, the sneaker includes metallic hits along the swoosh and logo, creating a UFO-like resemblance. Its glow-in-the-dark outsole is coupled with the crop circle, herringbone traction pattern that provides unmatched grip on the court. Finally, Nike leveraged Wemby’s special talent by writing the words “Be unique, every day” on the outsole of the sneaker. 

Nike's Once-in-a-Lifetime Marketing Campaign

Nike didn’t waste any time when it came to its campaign for Wemby, as their entire marketing strategy revolved around the April 2024 solar eclipse. Its alien-themed video took to social platforms like Instagram and X, and was launched right at the time the eclipse was taking place. Because of the creativity and timing of the ad, Nike caught the attention of major brands like Footlocker, SneakerNews, and many others.

The campaign would continue its paranormal theme with a series of posts that would highlight Wemby’s accomplishments, accolades, and achievements during his rookie season with the Spurs. In addition, Nike would also leverage Wemby’s bright future by stating, “Wembanyama is ready to bring the game to another dimension.” This simple phrase not only plays into their campaign theme, but also illustrates the faith Nike has that Wemby will become the new face of the NBA.

Nike's Once-in-a-Lifetime Marketing Campaign

Nike has done it again with its latest campaign for Victor Wembanyama. In light of its success with its basketball branch, it’s marketing team deserves a raise after its brilliant performance. Here is what they did better than anyone else.

- Leveraged Ultra-Viral Event: Launching this campaign around the solar eclipse while using an alien themed logo was an absolute must for Nike, and it certainly did not disappoint. From Kevin Durant, to Devin Booker, to LeBron James, no one takes care of its athletes quite like Nike; and those who rebuttal are often left speechless when trying to compare brands’ marketing to the unstoppable swoosh.

But what really set this basketball campaign apart was that for the first time ever, everyone (including those who don’t play basketball) related to this campaign. Nearly everyone knows about aliens and the area 51 conspiracies, which bring fascination and excitement into every conversation. For Wemby, his game sparks fascination and excitement for fans around the world, and his freakish athleticism, length, and size reflect those same qualities and ethos.

- Strategized a Conservative Campaign: Nike could have easily went all-in on its project with Victor Wembanyama, but instead took a conservative approach to ensure its sneakers would sell upon its release. But there are other reasons why Nike held back during its Wemby campaign:

Nike doesn’t perform a complete marketing roll out when it comes to signature sneakers for its athletes. Because basketball are more niche than other sneakers like the Nike Air Max DN, Nike doesn’t make as many sneakers, which in turn lowers its ceiling for how much the brand can make from the shoe.

In addition, since this is Wemby’s first PE sneaker, it’s not a guarantee if it will sell. In essence, there isn’t a track record that Nike can look back on to give them guidance, so they strategize a conservative campaign to ensure it takes the appropriate steps without being too greedy or too cautious. Nike has done this approach time and time again with athletes ranging from Paul George, Sabrina Ionescu, Devin Booker, and many others.

- Celebrated the Shared Wins: With Victor Wembanyama receiving the KIA Rookie of the Year award, Nike not only recognized Wemby, but leveraged this achievement by feeding it into its marketing campaign. Its congratulations post featured Wemby in the cornfield, playing into the crop circle mantra for the campaign. This post served two purposes; first, it acknowledged him for his achievement, and second, promoted the sneakers that were soon to drop on Nike’s app and website.

What Could Have Improved

While its undeniable that Nike had a successful marketing campaign, they could have made a few minor adjustments that would have resulted in greater awareness and traction around Wemby’s new PE.

- Debut PE Colorways: Just as Devin Booker did with his Book 1, Nike should have given Wemby the option to wear multiple colors of his signature shoe. Whether it is an all white or all green pair, this would have brought more attention to his signature sneaker and its release date.

Conclusion