The New Orleans-native will collaborate with Converse on everything from campaigns to product development, all with the aim of engaging the wider basketball community.
Source: Converse Welcomes Kelly Oubre Jr.
Earlier this year Nike delivered the Think 16 Collection. They utilized their ownership of Converse to introduce a few models worn by legends of the NBA. The reception was incredible. I wrote a post about it and in that post I placed this quote:
What is so amazing about this project is that it reminds me that Nike owns Converse and they have yet to really capitalize on the heritage there. There has been the Air Jordan x Converse Pack, but if Nike could work out the terms there could literally be a Dr. J., Magic Johnson and Larry Bird championship pack.
In the early 2000s Converse attempted to make a modern version of the Converse Leather. The shoe was poorly received and rightfully so. It was uncomfortable and there wasn’t any heritage associated with the release. Around 2013 Converse once again brought back the Leather and they also brought back the Converse for Larry Johnson, but it didn’t have React juice. People were initially excited and the shoes sold above retail for about two months before fizzling out. Nike hasn’t really utilized a lot of their tech in Converse and the idea that they are considering moving back towards basketball is interesting. The last few quarters for Converse haven’t been very strong. Vans has entered into the mix and taken a bit of the share away from them along with Fila and Puma. This signing of Kelly Oubre Jr. means very little and there isn’t any name recognition although he is an NBA player.
With Champions Think 16 Collection, Nike Has Taken a Card From adidas’ 2017 Playbook | Marketing
I took a second to ask my wife who Kelly Oubre was and she said “someone who plays for the WNBA.” I forgot to state that he was a Jr. When she Googled him she still added, “well he kind of looks like a girl.” It doesn’t help that I’ve been writing a lot of WNBA posts lately so that was a logical response. There is a bit of a problem there. He is not a household name. He is a handsome guy and he fits the bill more as a model, but that doesn’t mean that he is a face that could launch a basketball sneaker for Converse. In all honesty Nike has the blueprint for dropping Converse back into the basketball market right in their back pocket with the Think 16 collection. I’m surprised that they don’t realize that.
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