Page Dimensions

Approx. 16" x 10 7/8" (40cm x 27cm)

Story and Details

To my knowledge, there's only one Nike magazine ad with Michael Jordan in it prior to this "Spike and Mike" ad. That ad, from 1987, shows MJ in a Jumpman-esque pose. That 2-page spread adheres to a calculated formula to sell shoes - focusing on Jordan's otherworldly athletic abilities on the court. But as historic as that ad is, being the first Air Jordan magazine ad, showing Mike wearing the Jordan 2, it falls short in capturing him as a mortal.

Around the time the Portland ad agency Wieden + Kennedy came up with the famous “Just Do It” tagline, two creatives at the agency, Jim Riswold and Bill Davenport made an equivalent contribution to Nike advertising history - and Nike's popularity and business - with their "slam dunk" campaign featuring Jordan and Spike Lee. The commercials, posters, and print ads would prove incredibly effective by offering a much-needed, fresh angle to market Jordan and the Air Jordan line of sneakers. 

It all happened because of a 2 minute movie trailer the two admen saw featuring a basically unknown filmmaker at the time, Spike Lee, hawking tube socks on a Brooklyn street while simultaneously hustling his first film, She’s Gotta Have It. Riswold and Davenport eventually watched the movie together, and when it was over, had a moment of clarity after grasping the fanaticism Lee's character, Mars Blackmon, has for all things Jordan - especially the shoes. In fact, in the movie, Mars Blackmon doesn't even take off his beloved Jordan 1 kicks when he's in bed with Nola Darling. It's that infatuation Lee had for Jordan which prompted Riswold and Davenport to literally pick up the phone and call him. A call that would end up being a match made in heaven. 

When most people think of Jordan and Spike Lee it's their rapport in the comedic commercials that comes to mind, which began in 1988 and ran for about 3 years. However, accompanying these iconic commercials, and memorable scripts with lines like "It's gotta be the shoes" were several magazine ads, like the one here. 

This 2-page, "full court" ad from 1988 is arguably the best Nike ad of all-time to feature Michael Jordan. It's likely Riswold and Davenport are behind it. Not only is it from the first year of the campaign, but the photoshoot undoubtedly took place on the same day the first commercial was shot. And the photographer who immortalized this moment could be legendary commercial director Joe Pytka. This epic ad captures the iconic duo before their mutual rise to G.O.A.T. status and is like a trailer to a film that documents their immortality in sports and culture. The ad also instantly calls to mind those classic Nike commercials Lee directed, evokes nostalgic basketball memories, and the fashion of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Of course, the ultimate fashion statement in this ad is the Tinker Hatfield-designed Jordan 3 with the luxurious elephant print detail. 

It’s always interesting to reflect on why campaigns like this one become so iconic... I think the ad's legendary status boils down to the fact that Wieden + Kennedy was just one of those agencies that simply understood pop culture, and Spike Lee knew that sneakers represented more than footwear. They defined a person.