One of the more acclaimed brand/celebrity partnerships of the last half decade has been the collaboration between Jordan Brand and hip-hop megastar Drake. Since 2013, Drake and his OVO imprint has inserted some palpable energy to the Jumpman through his limited edition footwear/apparel releases as well as other PE-style make-ups that have consistently made headline news. We learned over All-Star Weekend of a rumor regarding the potential split between Drake and Jordan Brand, and this latest report by Sole Collector suggests that a break-up is imminent. Drake may be unhappy with his current deal with Jordan as he aims to get more creative control, and he may already be in talks with adidas on a deal that would give him much more freedom, similar to how Kanye West and Pharrell have managed to produce their own style of goods without an impedance from the brand.
If the above unfolds as stated, then adidas would possess the most powerful roster of entertainers at their disposal. This is key considering the ever-increasing level of influence that entertainers have in today’s landscape of marketing. However, it should be pointed out that Drake’s partnership with Jordan was more about creating energy around the brand and in the roughly half-decade duration of their partnership, there has been only a small handful of releases that were true collaborations with the Toronto-based rapper.
There’s more to come from this developing story, so stay tuned and let us know what you think about the possibility of Drake leaving Jordan Brand for adidas.
–