Nike allowed Kanye to walk. Drake is Nike’s entertainer partnership, but the product from Nocta is a drop in the bucket against Nike’s willingness to spend up to 8 billion dollars a year in endorsements and sponsorships of athletic events and athletes. Nike understands seeding and product placement, but nothing ever rivals Nike’s sponsorship of the athlete. Place this in context to adidas’ relationship with Kanye. Since Kanye came aboard is there a single successful product associated with an athlete for adidas? Watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Vqm9DnDfY
There isn’t a moment for an entertainer to ever make you feel this way. An actor can win an Oscar. A singer can win a Grammy. Entertainers can win Tony Awards and Emmy Awards, but all of those things are done formally. The uniform is a suit and tie. The athlete’s highs and lows are documented, cemented in imagery, but not confined to time. Tiger’s fist pump, Jordan’s leg’s kicking after nailing a shot over Craig Ehlo, Kobe’s Mamba Mentality, and now Serena’s exit. The sneaker industry may currently be driven by entertainers and TikTok sensations, but those things are momentary. Long after an athlete walks into the sunset what they accomplished resonates and generates emotional debate, or celebration. Nike paid for the opportunity to sponsor Serena Williams. She began with Puma and ended with the Swoosh. No one will remember those victories with the Cat, but the Goddess of Tennis is forever tied to the Goddess of Victory. That’s legacy and it will last for as long as tennis is played.
