What does Bugs Bunny have to do with fashion? Unless you’re Jeremy Scott, the question probably seems arbitrary, but on the 20th anniversary of the animated and live-action sports movie Space Jam, it actually couldn’t be more relevant. As the highest-grossing basketball movie of all time, Space Jam broke box-office records—but it also has a lasting fashion legacy that still resonates.
Today’s release of an anniversary teaser on Air Jordan’s social media channels gives a preview of the marketing to come. The prospective sequel, is likely to feature current NBA players–including LeBron James who has long been rumored to serve as Jordan’s replacement and is set for a 2019 release date, which means there is plenty of time for the branding opportunities to develop. In an era where basketball players sit front row at fashion shows, Bugs and Daffy are screen-printed onto high-end sweaters, and luxury brands are as connected to sports as their athletic counterparts, Nike won’t be the only one to get in on the game. While the franchise’s next installment remains under wraps, one thing is certain—the original’s layers of product placement will remain intact. Today’s teaser, which featured the return of the villainous Monstars, ends on a high note, with the now-iconic Jumpman logo set against an interstellar backdrop.
It all started in the world of fashion advertising. In 1992, nearly a decade into the relationship between Michael Jordan and Nike, the brand was looking for inventive ways to market the Air Jordan VII. They sought out the talents of a frequent collaborator, Jim Riswold, who had been the creative director behind landmark campaigns like 1989’s “Bo Knows” cross-training ads. Looking to the nostalgia of classic Looney Toons animation, Riswold conceived of a mash-up between two pop-culture icons: Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan. The “Hare Jordan” commercial, as it would come to be known, saw Bugs outwitting a team of doltish basketball players with a little help from MJ. It aired during during the Super Bowl, and stood out as one of that year’s most memorable spots. The shoes themselves became classics, and were the first to hit the market without the Nike logo (they sported only the now-famous “Jumpman”).
Four years later, Space Jam the film project brought back many of the creatives from that cult-favorite commercial, including its director, Joe Pytka. The team raised the stakes with a story that involves a host of vintage Warner Bros. characters, every marquee basketball player of the era, alien abduction, and of course Bill Murray. While something of a cult classic, its artistic merits are debatable—it currently holds 37 percent on Rotten Tomatoes—but the movie serves a dual purpose, existing both as a cheery, family-friendly romp and an extended commercial for Nike and a host of interconnected ventures including Jordan’s other key endorsements, like Hanes, and McDonalds. Almost every frame of Space Jam is selling you something, often an item you could wear. Showing off a variety of NBA merchandise, from jerseys to jackets, Space Jam didn’t just stop at promoting existing team merch, it branched out into its own, taking the Tune Squad’s uniforms and logos and slapping them on a variety of tie-in products catered to the movie’s two core demographics: children and sports fans.
Much of what Space Jam was selling in terms of goods remain accessible—you can still pick up a Tune Squad jersey, and fans still line up for the latest Jordans. Jordan himself, one of the sport’s greatest spokesmen, continues to be the highest-paid athlete, over a decade after his retirement. But the film’s greatest accomplishment and most lasting legacy may be helping to normalize aggressive brand integration within movies. From the winks at product placement within its dialogue to the inevitability of the merch, the film serves as the ultimate representation of branded content. When fans think back to the movie, their memories center around humorous scenes or sequences—not the embedded advertising messages. But the relationship between their favorite childhood movie and what they’ve got in their closet may be deeper than they think.