Move over smart phones/cars/toilets, because starting September 29th — you can be the proud owner of a $200 NBA replica ‘smart’ jersey.
Made by Nike (and Goodyear if you’re a Cavs fan), the jersey will connect to your phone with the NikeConnect app via a scannable tag.
The owner will then be showered (for better or worse) with highlights, stats, and exclusive info on the player whose name dons the back — plus a treasure trove of NBA marketing.
Oh, yeah, and Edward Snowden’s tears
Because once the jersey is activated — they’re watching you. Yep, Nike will know who bought it, where the specific buyer lives, and where and when the jersey was scanned.
After all, the smart jersey is mainly to provide marketers with a mecca of advertising opportunities: we’re talkin’ licensed products, game tickets, even personalized Spotify playlists made by the athletes.
Gamers will also be lured to buy the jerseys with the promise of a “boost” code to use in the NBA2K18 video game.
And this is only the beginning
Back in June, Nike signed an 8-year deal with the NBA, making them basketball’s new exclusive apparel maker.
The partnership is valued at around $1B — a huge leap from what Adidas paid back in ‘06 ($400m), but a small price to pay for amounts to a “find my customers” phone app.
The post From dumb jersey to smart jersey appeared first on The Hustle.
(via The Hustle)
