Jordan Brand : Defy the Post
Open the game- Brand
- Jordan Brand
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Fashion
- Mechanic
- Action
- Platform
- Mobile web
- Agency
- AKQA
Objective
Jordan Brand leveraged the 20th anniversary of Space Jam to drive youth engagement, support the launch of Air Jordan retro models (Air Jordan 11, 31, and 9 Space Jam editions), and position NBA athletes Blake Griffin and Jimmy Butler as key brand ambassadors. By reviving the Monstars antagonists from the original film, the brand aimed to create a viral moment that merged movie nostalgia with sneaker culture and street basketball credibility.
Solution
The campaign unfolded across multiple channels with social media takeovers, a 90-second brand film, and an interactive mobile game. On the centerpiece mobile experience 'Defy The Post,' players on WeChat engaged in satellite basketball and trick challenges against Monstar characters to reclaim their feeds from the aliens' rule. Simultaneously, the Monstars 'invaded' Jordan Brand's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat channels with distorted videos and propaganda. The campaign culminated with the launch of 'Defy'—a short animated sequel starring the two NBA athletes. The mobile game ran on WebGL technology with animated graphics and video integration, accessible primarily through WeChat in China but also through web-based formats.
Results
The campaign achieved 201.3 million total impressions and 7.8 million social engagements, with video content reaching 25 million views and the 'Defy' short film alone garnering 15 million views. The Snapchat lens generated 2.4 million uses and 55 million impressions, while Facebook Canvas received 92,900 opens with an average engagement duration of 33 seconds.
