Jordan Brand Asks ‘What If We Didn’t Pay the Fine?’ in New Star-Studded Ad Featuring Luka Dončić, Travis Scott and Others
As legend would have it, after receiving a letter from the NBA in 1985, Nike paid a $5,000 fine every time Michael Jordan wore black and red shoes, which violated the league’s then dress code rules. This led to Nike’s brilliant marketing campaign promoting the Air Jordan 1 that has stood the test of time.
Forty years later, Jordan Brand has resuscitated its “Banned” campaign, and its latest effort is a star-studded ad that playfully answers the question, “What if we didn’t pay the fine?”
The short video begins with a clip of a young MJ from the original 1985 spot, which immediately cuts to “Lawrence H,” a character that could be best described as a nondescript Nike employee who is in charge of finances. Nike has recently created both an Instagram account (@thenikesuit) and a LinkedIn profile for Lawrence H, the latter stating he has been employed with the company for 40 years and nine months, and currently holds the “middle management” title.
The Lawrence H character immediately and defiantly states, “It was $5,000 — every game.”
The result, as Jordan Brand imagined it, was a disaster. “The Air Jordan was a massive failure, there were no more signature shoes, no catchprases, no sneakerheads,” the ad’s narrator exclaimed.
As the video continued — which was set to the sounds of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” — the results worsened. For instance, Jordan Brand stated basketball would have never went international, cutting to Slovenian basketball superstar Luka Dončić. Also, the ad stated DJ Khaled would have never said “We the best” and Travis Scott would have never become “La Flame.”
Jordan Brand also stated, “there’s no sports channel,” “red isn’t cool,” “no one knows those letter numbers” (referring to Roman numerals, which Jordan Brand uses to distinguish its different Air Jordan models) and “your parents never met” because Lawrence H “didn’t want to pay a fine.”
With the ad, Jordan Brand aimed to illustrate its impact globally on sport, culture and more, and prove that “Greatness is Unbannable.”
In an email to FN, Jordan Brand stated this ad will play during the Grammy’s and that there will be “some interesting easter eggs at the show.”
This ad is a continuation of Jordan Brand’s efforts that began in December 2024 that includes its “Origin Story” animation, the brand paying NFL star Jalen Hurts’ fine for wearing mismatched Air Jordan 11 cleats and “banning” MJ’s statue inside the United Center in Chicago where he won six NBA championships.
The “banned” story dates back to 1985, when the NBA sent a letter to Nike that stated MJ’s black-and-red shoes worn “on or around October 18, 1984” violated the league’s dress code rules. The story that has been shared for decades, which has never been confirmed with concrete evidence, is that Nike paid a $5,000 fine every time Jordan wore the shoes. This resulted in a marketing campaign promoting the Air Jordan 1, which still resonates with sneakerheads. (Though the campaign promoted the Air Jordan 1, the shoe MJ would have worn at the time of the violation was the Nike Air Ship.)
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.