Welcome to Duke, Cooper Flagg!

[bluedevilwildcats]

SkyBrickey, You are one of my most favoritest posters, so I offer my response with my humblest IMMHO.

My view is that the purpose of the ad was not to showcase Flagg. He doesn't need that. VMLY&R and NB know all about Flagg's popularity, and they know that their target market knows all about Flagg.

My hunch is that they are trying to connect Flagg with their market. VMLY&R's research likely led them to believe that their demographic targets would respond well to viewing their emotional attachment to Flagg as also an intelligent choice.

One way that we will be able to determine the efficacy of the ad is whether we see it being replicated.

I can tell y'all that big brands put way less thought/insight into their marketing/strategy than most people assume. Usually they just give their global agencies direction and let them run with it. I just checked out everyone VP and above on the Brand/Marketing team on LinkedIn. Not impressed.

Usually an ad like this is for Brand, not trying to get folks to go buy shoes today. And Brand campaigns unfold over time. So while I still think it's bad, maybe it's part of a story arc that over time is more cohesive. I honestly doubt that after checking out their team, but we'll see.

 

[CrazyNotCrazie]

In case it hasn't been embedded in the thread yet, here is a video of the ad from YouTube:

LasVegas is correct. Here is an explanation:

Cooper Flagg Signing to New Balance Is the Intelligent Choice

The Maine native signed to his local footwear brand and this is why it makes sense.

www.complex.com

I love the ad and think it helps them to carve out a unique niche that is not trivial in size. My 14 year old son is a runner and wears New Balance to run, as do a number of his friends. He is also an obsessed Duke basketball fan so come this winter when he needs new basketball shoes, I'm guessing he will want what Cooper wears.

New Balance seems to be making a major investment in this space - though not Nike/Adidas/Under Armour they are a huge brand with a lot of history and a I'm sure a substantial balance sheet (they are privately held). They have historically leaned into being "dad shoes" (they had a great campaign "work by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio") and I'm guessing they will not throw that away but rather build on it. The shoe business is extremely competitive but I think they will do OK.

 

[hustleplays]

Brevity, thank you for sharing this piece. Dispositively informative! I find it encouraging on a couple of levels. Yes, Flagg is likely to make a boat load of $$, but I want to believe that his Maine roots meaning something to him. I'm also hoping that this decision shows some independence. He easily could have gone with Jordan or Nike, with very low risk. This decision seems more entrepreneurial, maybe even intelligent!

 

[BandAlum83]

Seems to be a smart move by NB who supposedly got Cooper on a multi-year deal already. I don't really understand the nostalgia factor of a newspaper delivery in the ad, but I'm probably missing it .... I'm old enough to have had daily newspaper deliveries, but certainly Cooper's cohort isn't seeing that these days. I get they're trying to capture small town Americana or something, but I expected some tagline at the end to tie it all together.

I'm old enough to actually have had a newspaper route! Paid for my first drum set with the proceeds!

 

[BandAlum83]

I think everyone is missing the critical point from the ad: I expect Cooper to hit 100% from the field this coming season!

 

[budwom]

I love the ad and think it helps them to carve out a unique niche that is not trivial in size. My 14 year old son is a runner and wears New Balance to run, as do a number of his friends. He is also an obsessed Duke basketball fan so come this winter when he needs new basketball shoes, I'm guessing he will want what Cooper wears.

New Balance seems to be making a major investment in this space - though not Nike/Adidas/Under Armour they are a huge brand with a lot of history and a I'm sure a substantial balance sheet (they are privately held). They have historically leaned into being "dad shoes" (they had a great campaign "work by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio") and I'm guessing they will not throw that away but rather build on it. The shoe business is extremely competitive but I think they will do OK.

furthermore I imagine the money Cooper is getting is but a pittance of their advertising budget....money well spent IMO. perhaps a down payment on a much more important future deal depending upon how this season goes.