After 18 years,Nikeis finally unleashing a holy-grail from its basketball line: the LeBron 4...
Nike teamed up with hiphop icon, Houston Rockets superfan, & Air Jordan Ambassador, Travis Scott, to debut his premier signature sneaker: the Jumpman Jack. Despite the hype surrounding Nike's new sneaker, many have drawn their attention to its marketing campaign, showcasing the Jumpman Jack in cinematic fashion. But what marketing practices attributed to $1000 dollar after market prices, and make this unlike any other Travis Scott collaboration? This marketing case study highlights the Travis Scott Jumpman Jack, its marketing campaign, and why this sneaker will sell out within seconds upon its release.
Nike's History with Travis Scott
In addition to its collection of signature athletes, Nike has also partnered with several music artists to promote their latest product collection in addition to the musician’s discography. Artists like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem all have deals with Nike, and Travis Scott joined this illustrious list when he signed in 2017.
Travis Scott began his deal with Nike by collaborating on popular models like the Air Force 1 (2017) and Air Jordan 4 (2018). The sneakers integrated the iconic silhouettes with Scott’s subtle changes and personal branding. Whether it was the removable chrome or flame swooshes, or Travis Scott's ‘Cactus Jack’ branding on the Jordan 4 heel tab, these changes were an immediate success, and sold effortlessly when released to the public.
However, everything changed after Travis Scott released his Astroworld album in 2018. In the following months, Scott would debut his most successful collaboration with Jordan to this date, his Air Jordan 1. After its release in 2019, Travis Scott had the world on fire for not just his music, but for his sneakers, and his apparel line that complimented his new shoes. In the following years, Scott would have collaborations on popular models like the Air Jordan 6, Air Max 1, Air Max 270, Nike SB Dunk Low, and others.
Breaking Down the Jumpman Jack
The Nike Jumpman Jack is Travis Scott’s debut signature sneaker after years of collaborating on existing Nike models. The sneaker is inspired by 80’s and 90’s skate shoes, and is attributed to the gum-colored, flat outsole. It’s upper is wrapped in a premium, white leather and is accented with brown canvas throughout the main panels of the shoe. Paired with Travis Scott’s branding is his iconic reverse swoosh along the lateral side of the sneaker, creating a subtle, yet eye catching, detail that fans love.
In addition to Travis’ mocha colorway, he also released a white/black/red colorway exclusively offered to those in Houston (via SNKRS Pass). Houston residents had the chance to reserve this sneaker to pickup, and if selected, could purchase this shoe at the $200 dollar retail price. The mocha colorway of the Jumpman Jack releases on April 30 for $200 dollars.
Nike's Successful Marketing Campaign
Travis Scott teamed up with Nike and Jordan to create a cinematic marketing campaign for his upcoming sneaker. Despite the 60 second video, there is a lot to unpack within this short film.
- Leveraged Strongest Selling Point: Travis Scott is the biggest name in the hiphop and sneaker cultures. Anything he cosigns or creates has a proven track record to not only sell out within seconds, but resell on the aftermarket for hundreds, if not thousands, over its retail price. Having Scott at the center of this advertisement was a must-have strategy that Nike perfectly captured.- Effectively Displayed Sneaker’s Versatility: Nike didn’t hold back the Jumpman Jack’s versatility in its video. Travis Scott was wearing the Jumpman Jack while playing basketball, hiking, snowboarding, running, boxing, performing, and more. The Jumpman Jack can be worn for any and every activity imaginable, and goes well beyond the sneaker’s coveted aesthetics. - Ultimate Look Good, Feel Good Shoe: Not only is the Jumpman Jack overlaid with Travis Scott’s signature mocha brown color scheme, but the Travis Scott would subtly quote his Jumpman Jack sneakers would ‘enhance what you do’ when you wear the sneakers. When you feel good, you play good, and whether that’s during a pickup game or performing in front of thousands of fans, the Jumpman Jack is the sneaker for looking and feeling good.
- Utilized Content Creators’ Platforms: Outside of Travis Scott, this was the shining marketing strategy that took this campaign to the next level. Nike teamed up with sneaker content creators for two purposes. First, teaming up with content creators is the most cost-effective strategy for reaching its desired target audience. And second, sneaker influencers and content creators possess a level of credibility that Nike and Travis cannot provide. This personal and relatable connection builds trust with both Nike and the content creator, benefiting both groups while showcasing Nike’s upcoming Jumpman Jack with Travis Scott.
Why the Shortened Campaign?
Nike could have easily given this release its signature athlete treatment where they have a huge rollout and campaign for the shoe. However, Nike understood that a large campaign isn’t needed for the sneaker to do well. These are the dominant factors that lead to Nike’s intentional, shortened campaign with Travis Scott.
- Doesn't Prefer Big Campaigns: While Travis Scott has a history of brand partnerships from PlayStation, McDonald's, Fortnite, and others, he doesn't prefer the typical approach when it comes to branding and marketing. Scott would tell Complex that, “I just wasn’t ever really into it, you know? I guess I’m a naturalist in that sense.” He would continue by saying,
“I’m just more about putting out very cool things that inspire me and I hope one day inspire other people. “I’m trying to bring a utopian effect … hoping to inspire the next person to just get creative or even just live their life in an aesthetically pleasing, vibed-out way.”
- Name Speaks for Itself: Travis Scott’s campaign is vastly different than what Nike has done on previous campaigns for its Air Max DN, DBook 1, and Alphaflly 3. While most signature athletes have a strong presence in the States, their name tends to hold less weight overseas and elsewhere. Travis Scott has such a dominant presence not just within the Americas, but all around the world, selling out shows in Rome, London, and other global epicenters.
- Lack of Need: Nike creates marketing campaigns to help with the sneakers’ performance once it reaches the shelves. Fortunately, Travis Scott sneakers have almost always sold out within seconds, relaxing the need to create a marketing campaign for the shoes. Nike’s purpose for creating the Jumpman Jack campaign wasn’t to help with selling the shoe, but to bring awareness to Travis Scott, his personal rebranding, and exciting debut of a new sneaker silhouette.
The 'Travis Scott Effect': Explained
For Travis Scott products to sell for thousands over retail, there are a few marketing building blocks that must stack to build a fortified partnership. Let’s take a look
- Athlete/Artist: Nike needs an athlete or artist that is dominating their field and competition. Despite Travis Scott releasing just two albums since 2018, he is an undisputed superstar in the hip-hop industry. With his tours selling out within minutes, and thousands attending his concerts, it’s clear that Nike receives additional direct and indirect marketing at his tour events.
- Desired Product: Before Scott could get his stand-alone signature sneaker, he collaborated with Nike and Jordan on popular sneaker models to build his relationship and reputation with the brand. Since fans raved over Scott’s Jordan 1 High, the partnership blossomed as they began to explore other colorways, collaborations, and models.
- Good Public Relations: During Travis Scott’s controversial Astroworld concert in 2021, Nike pulled back from releasing his sneakers to the public. However, Travis Scott has since rebuilt his relationship with Nike and his fans, and has cleared his name over the legal actions. Good relations with the press are a common reason why athletes and artists lose contract deals with Nike since it doesn't represent the brand’s mission and core values. Fortunately for Travis Scott, he’s back to sold-out tours and creating new sneakers with Nike, just like it was in 2019.
- A Consistent Overachiever: Athletes like Odell Beckham Jr, LeBron James, Serena Williams, and others have not had long-term Nike deals because of their charisma and swagger, but also, and more importantly, because they have remained at the top of their field for a long stretch of time. For LeBron to coming up on his 22nd year with Nike is an anomaly, and one that should be studied. For artists like Travis Scott, reaching a multi-year relationship with Nike shouldn’t be overlooked. It is an extremely rare achievement that only a select group have been included in.
Conclusion
The Travis Scott Jumpman Jack is NIke’s newest sneaker model that has fans, sneakerheads, and music lovers in a spin cycle. Built with premium materials, the Nike Jumpman Jack not only grabs your attention with it’s mocha and cream hues, but also has the quality and build that have an unmatched durability and versatility. Nike’s marketing campaign was perfectly proportioned to meet the company’s need of awareness while leveraging key strategies to keep the Jumpman Jack marketing budget-friendly. Travis Scott continues to carry his electric personality throughout his music, his tours, and his sneakers, and shows no signs of slowing down. Whether you pay the $200 dollar retail price or shell out $850+ on the after market, this is a piece of sneaker history. Travis Scott is the one writing history, and we’re the ones watching a master at work.
