Nike And Snap Inc. Partner To Market New Air Jordan With Snapchat

An arrangement between Snap Inc. with Nike to market its upcoming Air Jordan III “Tinker” sneakers have been revealed, and it showcases Snapchat’s potential for advertising exclusivity. This could work to offset the hesitation that the social network still has with regards to diving into e-commerce, where customers can order very specific products only from the platform.

The new marketing strategy was launched after the NBA All-Star games this weekend and it was done in spectacular fashion. A special concert was held in Los Angeles where the people attending were taught how to use the camera on Snapchat take check out the new Jordan sneakers using the app with a special barcode, Recode reports.

Once the code has been scanned, the people in attendance could then purchase the special footwear right on the spot where the pair will be delivered on that day. This was made possible with the help of the e-commerce site Shopify, which handled the purchase processing side and the firm Darkstore, which handled the logistics.

The decision to use Snapchat was naturally a way to drum up interest since the app was predominantly used by younger people. It doesn’t appear as if this is going to be a permanent arrangement between Nike and Snap, but it does provide a clear picture as to what the social media company could be known for.

The popularity of the sneakers and the ease of use of Snapchat was made evident when supply apparently ran out 23 minutes into the event, TechCrunch reports. So instead of being a regular e-commerce entity like Amazon or Etsy, Snapchat could opt to be an event specialist where it features the launch of new and exciting products.

If it wants to compete with Instagram, the youth-centric social media company needs to do something different. This could be its ticket.