words & opinion by Creighton Phillips
Things I can’t pronounce without difficulty: Capitalism, passiveness, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s last name. Ok, I lied about the first two. Fortunately for the “Greek Freak”, his skills are no exaggeration. So why on Earth would Nike neglect to give his game an explanation? Beats me.
Here’s why he deserves one and how they should do it…
Reintroduce the Alpha Project, starting with the Flightposite 3. The Flightposite 3 Retro would be a great shoe to rollout before Giannis gets a signature. Like Mr. Freak, the FP3 was an extension of the nouns before it. You could also release other classic Alpha Project basketball kicks in conjunction. Redevelop and Reintroduce.
Give up the American bias and really go global. Get design input from Giannis himself. With an evident blend of Nigerian and Greek heritage, an ode to his bloodline would inspire young hoopers to embrace who they are and where they come from respectively. Marketing an International player and budding NBA superstar would break the conventional notion of the dreaded “small-market.”
Antetokounmpo could lead the Alpha Project into not only historical design status, but also help gain leverage in the marketing of the modern NBA athlete. Proving that evidently, true storytelling still matters.
Most of Nike’s most famed basketball silhouettes were derivatives of the Alpha Project line. Reintroducing the series would increase the probability of Nike Basketball regaining staying power in the marketplace.
The future exists in the past and present. The Alpha Project sneaker series could’ve very well been a decade and a half ahead of its time. With fingerprint scanners and augmented reality being favored amenities in capitalism, why not bring the most futuristic era of sneaker design to the forefront? The financial backing and popularity of the NBA would catapult Nike back into the households of creative and athletic families.
Giannis and a revamped Alpha Project basketball campaign could help streamline auto-lacing into the basketball market even smoother. With NikeLab continuing to develop its niche on the sneaker retail front, the Greek Freak and T.A.P. would bring innovation and a new cool to wearing basketball kicks off-court.
Having Antetokounmpo being garnered as the future face of the league to coincide with a MVP candidacy worthy season, a successful rollout sets you up for future campaigns with KAT and the new rookies. Pushing Giannis could help market a Western Conference equivalent in Anthony Davis who unfortunately didn’t get the marketing push he deserves.
Giannis is the perfect player at the perfect time for Nike Basketball. With his wit, intellect, and likeability well endowed, all the brand needs is a direction. God-given ability and International appeal intact, all Antetokounmpo needs is a push. Now that’s freaky.
Giannis imagery via Zimbio
