Jordan Brand goes for digital fashion slam dunk in latest Snapchat tie-up

The Jordan Brand has dropped its latest pair of shoes - Air Jordan XXXV - and along with the global reveal is a partnership with Snapchat for the Jordan Brand x Bitmoji Collection. The collection offers digital apparel and sneakers that users can wear on their Bitmoji avatars, including the new Air Jordan XXXV in multiple colourways. With the Jordan Brand x Bitmoji Collection, Snapchat aims to enable consumers to authentically express themselves digitally and grow the future of basketball culture.

Designed inspired by current seasonal looks, the digital collection offers a variety of pieces that represent basketball culture in addition to the Air Jordan XXXV, including new lifestyle looks such as the Jordan 23 Engineered apparel and Women’s Flight Suit, along with classics such as the Air Jordan I and Air Jordan III. The collection is also shoppable on Nike.com and in select retail stores. Users will also see the Jordan Brand designs on their Bitmoji in a variety of places across the app, including in Chat and games, on the Snap Map and in personalised content such as Bitmoji Stories. 

In a statement to Marketing, Snap's spokesperson said that on average, more than 70% of daily active users (DAUs) have their Bitmoji linked to their Snapchat account. The company is promoting the partnership to these users in personalised ways on Snapchat, including Bitmoji stickers that feature the Jordan x Bitmoji Collection. The partnership was brought to life by in-house Bitmoji and Snap teams, and the spokesperson added that the tie-up is part of Bitmoji's broader partnership strategy to enable users to authentically express their identity by wearing brands that they love.

This is not the first time the Jordan Brand has tied up with Snapchat. In 2018, it tapped R/GA to launch a shoppable AR experience when it hosted the NBA All-Star Weekend. R/GA turned Air Jordan into A/R Jordan by imposing the basketball legend onto a geofenced court in downtown Los Angeles, where fans could witness his free throw line dunk in full 6'6 - frozen a full five feet from the ground.

Thereafter, fans could purchase the latest pair of Air Jordan III by tapping on the screen and have it delivered to their home address within two hours. The collaboration was part of a three-way tech partnership between Snapchat, Shopify and fulfilment and delivery platform Darkstore. According to R/GA's website, the sneaker sold out in 23 minutes and the AR lens quadrupled previous engagement levels.

Meanwhile in June, Snapchat's parent company Snap opened its Singapore office in a bid to strengthen the company's support for its multinational brand advertising partners based in Asia Pacific. According to Snap, the Southeast Asia region has grown in importance for the company over the past 12 months. At the same time, it hired Anubhav Nayyar as director of Southeast Asia market development, to lead Snap's efforts across the Southeast Asia region. It is currently working with Archetype for PR duties in Singapore and Malaysia.

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