Kobe Bryant was incredibly athletic during his time in the league. If his ferocious dunking ability was not enough proof of that, Kobe showed off his athleticism on several different aspects of the game by using his athletic prowess to help with his shooting, scoring, and his defense.
But Kobe could also showcase his athleticism off the court. And did just that to promote a new Nike shoe in 2008. To promote the release of his new Nike HyperDunk shoe, Kobe Bryant did a commercial where he jumped over a speeding Aston Martin car, showing just how well the shoe could help people with their bounce and jump.
Kobe Bryant Jumps Over an Aston Martin Promoting His New Shoe, the Nike HyperDunk (2008) pic.twitter.com/6aMjA91NCw
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The ad became a viral sensation and translated very well in shoe sales for Kobe and Nike. The shoe became one of the first ‘viral sneakers‘, shoes that use the internet in order to promote themselves. It was a significant boost for Nike and Kobe’s brand, as they went on to promote many more shoes during his playing career, and beyond.
But that relationship has since disintegrated, as the agreement between Nike and the Bryant Estate fell apart this year. After Bryant’s passing, the agreement was coming to an end, and renewal wasn’t agreed upon earlier this year. But recently, news came out that the two sides were renegotiating, not ruling out an agreement in the future.
If a new agreement can be reached, NBA players would be very happy. It was recently revealed that NBA players were spending up to five figures to get their hands on a pair of Kobes. Players like PJ Tucker, Anthony Davis, and DeMar DeRozan regularly wear Kobes on the court, so this is not surprising.
The commercial has become a classic and is one of the most interesting approaches to promote a new sneaker. And the shoe did very well, mostly due to the popularity of the commercial itself.
