1990s

The Michael Jordan/Spike Lee campaign turned Jordan into a global icon and Nike into a cultural powerhouse.

 (Nike Air Jordan campaign print ad combining Michael Jordan’s athletic imagery with Spike Lee’s Mars Blackmon persona. Source: Sneaker culture retrospectives referencing Wieden+Kennedy campaigns from 1991) 

(Vintage Nike Air Jordan print ad featuring Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon, Brooklyn headband and retro attire. Source: Vintage Nike Spike Lee promotional material, circa late 1980s/early 1990s.)

Nike's Ads from the 1990s surrounded this idea of "hero culture", they centered on celebrity athletes and brand mythology. The air Jordan line made fans and customers feel like they could aspire to be like Michael Jordan or their favorite atheltes. This era blended basketball with hip-hop and youth identity. The 1990s from Nike revealed the power of sports marketing to shape things like race and status, Nike wasn't just trying to sell shoes but they were trying to sell greatness.