SELECT Exclusive: Launching the Air Jordan XX9 & the Future of Jordan Brand

February 6, 2014by Aaron Kr.

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While it may seem like Michael Jordan and the brand that bears his name have done it all and achieved the highest pinnacles of success, it just wouldn’t be in their nature to sit back with their feet up, content to revel in the past. Jordan Brand certainly takes great pride in their unrivaled legacy and pays tribute to it often, but the main focus is, and always has been, style and performance innovation. With Michael’s fiercely competitive spirit always in mind, the brand is constantly exploring new ways to push things forward and grow the Jordan legend, whether it’s through their performance basketball offerings or their off the court lifestyle initiatives. Air Jordans have long been a cornerstone of both basketball and street culture around the world, but as we move forward, the brand will always be looking for new ways to evolve their products and expand their influence around the globe.

It’s been a year since the release of the Air Jordan XX8 and everyone has been eagerly awaiting the next game shoe, but in the meantime, there have been plenty of other juicy stories and intriguing brand initiatives to keep us occupied. With so much going on these days in the Jordan realm, there are a lot of burning questions regarding where the brand is headed and what will become of some of the major pieces that are already in place. We caught up with VP, Global Brand Jordan Marketing Director, Brian O’Connor, to get you the inside scoop on the Air Jordan XX9, plans for the Drake signing, the next Jordan signature athlete, and the future direction of the brand. Continue on for some insights into what’s to come  in 2014 and beyond as we delve into all the hot topics currently swirling around the Jordan Brand universe.

GROWING THE BRAND

In the nearly 30 years since the first Air Jordan model was introduced, Michael Jordan, his shoes, and the Jumpman logo have permeated every imaginable segment of pop culture. Air Jordan is a household name around the globe and it’s hard to imagine that the brand could be any more successful, but like MJ himself, the competitive switch never turns off and Jordan Brand will always be looking to expand their empire and grow Michael’s unrivaled legacy in the process. Establishing how and where to grow the brand will always be a challenge, but it’s one that JB warmly welcomes as they help guide things into the future.

SN: At this point, what’s left to do to grow the brand and the Jordan legacy?

Brian O’Connor:  It’s an amazing moment for the brand. We’ve hit the point where it’s no longer just North America. Around the globe, Jordan Brand is one of the hottest brands out there and that’s shown in our growth year in and year out from Greater China and Western Europe. So that’s an exciting piece and that’s come from us telling the story of certainly the man, Michael, but also the brand and the values that it stands for and achieving greatness for our basketball consumer, but also for the sports consumer in general. It really is an amazing time for us as we really start zoning in on performance basketball and that consumer and showing them where and how Jordan will allow them to achieve their greatness – whatever it is.

SN: Are there still Michael Jordan stories left to tell or is the idea more to create new narratives through the performance products?

Brian O’Connor:  I think when we talk to the younger consumer, they know Michael, but I don’t know how well they know him, so that certainly gives us the opportunity to inform them about not only MJ, but this amazing brand. It allows us to tell great stories around the heritage, which always was about performance icons that were created on the court, so we’ll continue to use that storytelling method. It’s always gonna be around the court. It’s always gonna be around the innovation we bring and the style we bring. And we’re also gonna remind them that, yes, we’ve done that for 30 years, but we’re certainly gonna continue to do it beyond the next 30 years. It is and always has been about innovation and style for us.

Brian O’Connor – VP, Global Brand Jordan Marketing Director

BALANCING RETRO & PERFORMANCE

Air Jordan Retro models continue to be a juggernaut force in the market thanks to an ever-growing legion of loyal consumers who still revere Michael Jordan and the shoes he wore as much as ever, even a decade-plus after his retirement from basketball. The rich history and timeless mystique around the earlier Air Jordan models will always be there, but like the man the brand was built off of, complacency is never an option. Even with so much potential ammo in their retro arsenal, Jordan Brand refuses to rest on their laurels and continues to work tirelessly towards creating the pinnacle performance products on the market. With such lofty precedents set by their previous design accomplishments, there are some tough acts to follow, but that only pushes the brand harder to strive for continued greatness in all their current and future endeavors.

SN: There’s obviously a large consumer demand for retro models, but how does Jordan Brand plan to position their new products to be the classics of the future?

Brian O’Connor:  We’re lucky to have that amazing heritage, so we certainly will leverage that to continue to tell the consumer that we’ve always delivered performance innovation. And what we’re doing right now is we’re creating the future legacy product through the innovations for performance and style. We’ll do that through the amazing innovation that we’ll bring with the XX9 and the style aspect of it. So it helps us inform the future and that’s what we’re driving towards. It’s the same idea of building the legacy today with our game shoes.

THE AIR JORDAN XX9

When Jordan Brand first branched out from Nike to become their own autonomous entity in 1997, they led the charge with the November release of the Air Jordan XIII, just in time for the tip-off of what would eventually be Michael’s sixth championship season. Somewhere along the way since then, the annual numbered release moved on from its traditional Fall debut and embraced the excitement and national spotlight of NBA All-Star Weekend to position its official retail launch. Always in search of ways to better the brand and enhance the consumer experience around it, Jordan Brand has once again tweaked their formula to better meet the needs of the market. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a little while longer to get a look at the Air Jordan XX9, but there’s some sound reasoning behind the shift in the game shoe’s revamped release blueprint. Jordan Brand’s Brian O’Connor walks us through the thought process behind waiting until the 2014-2015 season to unleash the much anticipated 29th chapter of the Air Jordan game shoe legacy.

SN:  A lot of people were surprised to learn that the Air Jordan XX9 would not be debuting at this year’s All Star Weekend. What can you tell us about the Air Jordan XX9 and when we can expect to see it unveiled?

Brian O’Connor:  This was not an easy decision. A lot of conversations were had, even with Michael, himself, because the brand has certainly built a moment around All-Star and around the game shoe launching then. But we saw the opportunity and the insight around when the consumer and the young basketball player is looking to get their basketball product and it’s in that Fall time period. So that made us rethink bringing back what we actually used to do and bring the game shoe at the start of the season for the basketball player. That’s really when they’re looking to get their performance product. So it’s really about lining up with the consumer and their life and actually listening to them. They really did tell us – I need my performance innovation at the beginning of the season. That’s what drove us to make that decision to put it out right when the basketball player is looking for this product.

SN: Will there be anything product-wise to bridge the wide gap leading up to the XX9, or will we continue to see a focus on the XX8 SE and the Super.Fly 2 over the course of the current season?

Brian O’Connor:  The XX8 game shoe will have its last release at this All-Star – the one Tinker designed. Then the XX8 SE, when Russell (Westbrook) comes back, he’ll be wearing that. So there’s really no interim product (before the XX9). We just made the decision that at the end of this All-Star, it will now be time to turn our direction to line up to when the baller is looking for their performance product. That’s what really drove the final decision – putting our most pinnacle performance basketball shoe out in the moment when the basketball consumer is looking to buy their product. The other product we have in market now and coming is very, very strong. From the SE, the Melo 10, the Super.Fly. All of them have Flight Plate technology in them as well, so it’s a great way to get the consumer understanding our marquee innovation and it will all drive back into the XX9.

THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT PLATE

When the Air Jordan XX8 was first unveiled, most of the early attention was focused on the super high ankle cut and the zippable upper shroud, but the innovative new technology found underfoot turned out be the model’s most groundbreaking feature. The idea of a using a carbon fiber plate under the foot for added response and stability was implemented on the Air Jordan XI way back in 1995, but Flight Plate completely took that concept to the next level, integrating it within a complex cushioning system between both Zoom and Air units. By leveraging the foot’s natural impact against the energy return properties of the Flight Plate, this technology maximizes the responsiveness of the Air bag combo that it bridges and provides a unique set of performance benefits unlike anything that has come before it.

SN:  In addition to the XX8, we’ve since seen Jordan’s Flight Plate technology make its way onto a number of other models. What’s the future of Flight Plate and will it continue to be Jordan Brand’s marquee innovation moving forward?

Brian O’Connor:  We’re super excited about Flight Plate. It was great to hear directly from the consumer about their experience around putting the shoe on and playing in it. Even to the point when Russell and our elite athletes who were wearing our product with Flight Plate in it would talk about still feeling fresh in the fourth quarter, because of the Flight Plate. This is an amazing innovation that is absolutely a cornerstone for us going forward with our performance product.

THE NEXT TEAM JORDAN SIGNATURE ATHLETE

It’s been quite a while now since Jordan Brand added a new signature athlete to the mix. Russell Westbrook and Blake Griffin both seemed like viable candidates once they migrated over from Nike, but they’ve instead played another important role. Someone has to be representatives for the game shoe and team models and Westbrook and Griffin have done just that, wearing the XX8 and Super.Fly models respectively. With the Melo and CP3 lines still going strong, Jordan Brand has plenty of depth filling their current roster and they’ve wisely chosen to keep the notion of the signature shoe a sacred thing by carefully picking their spots and not doing it just to do it. But that’s not to say they don’t still have their eyes open for potential candidates, so don’t think you’ve seen the last of the Jordan signature athletes.

SN:  People have been wondering when Jordan Brand will add a new signature athlete to the mix. Is there any discussion of doing so, or is the brand content with the way the roster is currently being utilized?

Brian O’Connor:  We’re really happy with the family of athletes that we have, and not even just the basketball players. As we look toward the future, we’ll always be looking to sign the best Jordan athletes to the family who represent the values the best. Whether it’s signature athletes or just signed athletes, we have not really crossed that bridge, but we’re always out looking for who is the best representation of the Jordan family from an athlete perspective. We don’t have the signature conversation at this stage.

SN:  With Michael Jordan as the obvious lasting face and identity of the brand, is it ever a challenge to market signature shoes for other players under the Jordan umbrella?

Brian O’Connor:  It’s about the Jordan Brand first and foremost. Even when you talk to CP or Melo, they’ll always reference the Jordan Brand first. They know the honor they get being one of the athletes in the family. They just happen to be the two that have signature shoes. We haven’t made a conscious effort either way on no signatures or only signatures. Melo and CP have done really well. The CP3.VII has done outstanding and the Melo 10 has killed it. The two signature athletes that we have – their product has done extremely well with no confusion to the consumer from brand to signature athlete.

SN:  So it’s not that the brand is shut off to the idea these days – just that you’re waiting for an athlete or situation to come along that makes sense?

Brian O’Connor:  Yes, from a brand and business standpoint.

SIGNING DRAKE

Air Jordans have been a staple of hip-hop fashion for as long as they’ve been around, but in the early days it was a far more impersonal relationship than it is now. The brand made shoes and the hip-hop community bought them, and there was little to no personal interaction between the two. But over the years, it was only natural for the two worlds to more closely intertwine, and nowadays it’s not at all uncommon to see rappers signing contracts to be brand ambassadors for major footwear companies. For Jordan Brand, however, these partnerships have been few and far between with the most obvious highlight being the much sought-after Retro models created for Eminem a few years back. So while the concept wasn’t completely unprecedented, it still took a lot of people by surprise when it came to light last December that Drake would be the newest member of Team Jordan. The signing instantly became a hot topic, further fueled by the stingray-adorned OVO Xs and XIIs that surfaced around the same period, but now that some time has passed, everyone is wondering what fruits this marriage may bear in the future.

SN: What can you tell us about the Drake signing and what it can do for Jordan Brand?

Brian O’Connor:  Jordan Brand has always done very well in terms of resonating on and off the court, and with someone like Drake – he’s a global performer, so it’s great to have him in the family. He loves the brand. He’s been here a few times just informally having conversations with us and he even represents the values from a musician standpoint about the earn and the work ethic that he has. We’re just happy that he’s part of the family. He helps expand the family and the idea of helping the consumer look fly on and off the court, and that’s all about helping them achieve their dreams to be the next Michael.

SN:  We’ve seen the special OVO colorways that Jordan Brand created for Drake, but is there anything currently in the works that will materialize into retail product to release to the public?

Brian O’Connor:  No, at this stage, there’s nothing really further to discuss.

SN:  So for the moment, is it safe to say that his role with Jordan will be mainly as an ambassador for the brand?

Brian O’Connor:  Yes, and we’re really happy with that.

THE JORDAN FUTURE MODEL & THE NEW DIRECTION OF THE BRAND

 For Jordan Brand, blending their heritage with new ideas is not exactly new territory, but we’ve certainly never seen it done quite like the recently spotted Jordan Future. As soon as images first popped up, the sneaker world was intrigued to say the least, but not just for its use of the seldom-appropriated Air Jordan XI tooling, but also because of its sleek woven upper and forward-thinking aesthetic approach. Its arrival will signal the beginning of a new design direction for the brand that will still take cues from the past, but in bold and progressive new ways we’ve never seen before.

SN: What can you tell us about the Jordan Future model and what else we can expect in that realm?

Brian O’Connor:  It was a bit unexpected, no doubt – the design and the shape of the upper – and that’s great. That’s what we want to do. And then we just paid homage to our great heritage. So the thought of going forward and where we’re taking the brand, I’d say we’re gonna continue to push and be unexpected and leverage our great heritage, but we’re really pushing the brand into a new direction so I think what we’re talking about (the Jordan Future) is exactly where we’re going.

SN:  Does Jordan Brand ever worry about how the purists will respond to elements of revered Air Jordan models being used in new ways?

Brian O’Connor:  We know there’s something sacred about our heritage and our legacy as well as our fantastic consumers so it’s never our intention to disrespect that. So it’s always with respect and homage that we do things like this and then also start to show people – Hey, the brand is moving forward and this is the design and the shape and the direction that we’re going.

SN:  How much attention do you guys pay to the feedback and online reaction that arises when new styles first hit the blogs and forums?

Brian O’Connor:  We’re always listening to the consumer, always, but we’re also driving the brand in the direction it needs to continue to be a contemporary brand. And the product team has worked really hard around the legacy products to ensure that the quality and the craftsmanship is up to the level it should be. So in terms of listening to the consumer, they have really gone back and made sure that we are delivering on what our promise to them has been.

EXPANSION INTO TRAINING & OTHER CATEGORIES

Jordan Brand’s family of athletes is always growing and not just in the basketball category. They’ve long been active in active in baseball and other sports and have shown a particular interest in growing their football presence in recent years. The one thing that relates over from basketball and across all these different segments is the idea of training, so that has been a logical focus for the brand over the years, but with such a widespread Team Jordan roster, how far will they stretch and what else might we be in store? Basketball is the foundation of the brand, but with so many non-basketball athletes on board these days, it will be interesting to see what new places that diversity may drive their product in the future.

SN:  We’ve seen Jordan Brand dabble in training, baseball, and other markets. Will there be a bigger push into other sports moving forward, or will basketball remain as the primary focus?

Brian O’Connor:  Basketball will always be the soul. That’s where we started, but we’re definitely not a basketball category, we’re Jordan Brand and we do have athletes in sports across the field of play and we’ll definitely look to continue how we can evolve the brand beyond the basketball court, but never forget where we came from. One of those natural transitions from the court into a specific sports category is training. When you think back to Michael and his work ethic and his training, it comes right back and makes a lot of sense for the brand.

FLIGHT 23

Last week in midtown Manhattan, Jordan Brand cut the ribbon on their first ever Jordan-only retail store in partnership with FootAction. Not only will the Flight 23 store provide Jordan with an even more prominent presence in New York City, but it will also be a logical destination for special brand events, releases, and installations. With this first location now established, it’s hard to imagine that the Jordan will stop there when it comes to claiming new territory, and thanks to the Jumpman’s global popularity, there is no shortage of cities that would be thrilled to welcome a store like Flight 23 to their neck of the woods.

SN:  What’s the gameplan behind the opening of the Flight 23 store and will we be seeing more brick and mortar retail endeavors of this sort?

Brian O’Connor:  We’re looking at ways that the Jordan Brand can partner and show up in the marketplace as a full brand. We’re gonna continue to explore where the opportunities are for us to look to come into a marketplace, whether on our own or with a partner, and put the Jordan stamp there from a retail perspective.

SN: How important is it to have a place all your own to tell your brand stories and not have to rely solely on outside partners to showcase your products and convey your message?

Brian O’Connor:  We do have some very good partners and they do a very good job of working with us to tell our story. Alongside of that, we do want at certain times and certain locations to be able to tell our full story standalone. It’s definitely something that comes along with the partners we currently have and the opportunities that could happen for both of us as we go forward.

30th ANNIVERSARY

It doesn’t seem like so long ago that we were celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Michael Jordan’s first signature shoe and the powerhouse brand that it later led to. Now we’re knocking on the door to 30, and a lot of folks are wondering what JB has in store for next year’s celebration. It seemed safe to assume that it’s way too early to reveal anything substantial, but it never hurts to ask.

SN:  Surely, the exact details are still well under wraps, but what can you tell us about what might be in store for next year’s 30th Anniversary celebration?

Brian O’Connor:  We’re very excited. It’s amazing when you think about the brand and 30 years. You know, Michael hasn’t played in a little bit on the court, but he’s been hugely successful off the court. I think we’re most excited about where we’re going versus where we’ve been, because the opportunities are endless with this brand and where it currently stands. It’s more about how the past is really informing the future. Any launch is a milestone for us.

Again, we’re creating the performance icons of the future, and that’s why the XX9 is really exciting – this move to August/September and that Fall time period. It will be a great moment for the brand, but we also have some great moments leading up to it and beyond the 30th anniversary. We’re looking well beyond it already because of the energy around this brand and the opportunities we have.

Jordan Future image via Complex.