In 1992, decades before viral marketing was a thing, Upper Deck pulled off one of the most memorable marketing stunts of all time. The sports card company secretly put up a billboard in Chicago: It was plain white, with only two words: “Trade Jordan.”
The effort instantly became local news, and then national news. Trade Michael Jordan? The Chicago Bulls superstar who had just led the team to back-to-back championships, earning an MVP award in the process?
It was, of course, a ruse. Upper Deck was not trying to persuade the Bulls to trade MJ, rather they were eager to announce something new: An exclusive licensing agreement for trading cards, images of which ultimately replaced that stark white billboard.
35 years later and Upper Deck is reviving the billboard, featuring it in a new video marketing campaign about, of course, Michael Jordan, who has signed an extension with the brand, continuing the partnership that has lasted decades, even as the sports and media landscape has changed so dramatically.
The new campaign’s tagline? “You Don’t Trade Greatness, You Keep it for a Lifetime.”
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The collectible brand on Tuesday unveiled its new partnership with Jordan, one that will elevate the NBA legend-turned NASCAR owner a “Legacy Partner,” giving him enhanced oversight of what collectibles get made, and cracking down on forgeries in a market where celebrity and sports autographs are in high demand.
“I’m proud to be Upper Deck’s first Legacy Partner. For more than 30 years, this partnership has been about creating something different – cards and memorabilia collectors can’t find anywhere else. I’m looking forward to what comes next,” said Jordan in a statement.
“I can’t speak for Michael and the decision. What I can say is that we’ve had a very close relationship, I think it’s the longest standing relationship in the industry,” says Jason Masherah, the president of Upper Deck. “He is a key spokesman and a key part of the Upper Deck legacy, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
“A big part of our job as Upper Deck is to make sure that our exclusive sports people have an elevated status, and nobody can be more elevated than Michael here in sports,” Masherah said, when asked about the Legacy Partner status. “Part of it is creating new products and making sure that we are creating things that are new and unique and different in the space, but again, a big part is making sure that collectors are protected and making sure that we’re working hand in hand with Michael and his team to go after counterfeiters and infringers and fraudsters in this space.”
In connection with the deal, Upper Deck this week will roll out a new Jordan chase: Signed sealed packs of 1986-87 Fleer basketball cards, numbered to 23. The company will also auction off a sealed box of 1986-87 Fleer on eBay, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The campaign, which riffs on that billboard-driven news cycle, underscores in many ways the changing nature of fame, with many of the biggest global celebrities also being athletes. Jordan, who starred in Space Jam, contributes to NBC’s NBA coverage and now owns a championship-caliber NASCAR team, is perhaps the quintessential example.
Though Upper Deck has bet the farm on forging deals with other sports superstars (as well as some established entertainment IP, like Harry Potter, DC Comics and Looney Tunes).
“I think the biggest piece for us, when we look at Upper Deck authenticated, is finding athletes that fit the slogan ‘Collect the Best,’” Masherah says. “So when you look at the portfolio of exclusive athletes that we have, we’ve got Michael, Tiger [Woods], [Wayne] Gretzky, Patrick Roy, Bobby Orr, Alex Morgan, Carrie Walsh Jennings, those are some of the greatest athletes in the history of sports. We’ll continue to look at that, and then we’ll continue to concentrate on kind of our key sports, and then look for new opportunities, whether it’s Skye Brown, who will shine in the Olympics here in ’28.”
Does that mean other “Legacy Partners” could come in the future?
“I think there are a couple other candidates in our stable of athletes that are important pieces and want to become more involved in the day-to-day business, but we’re not there yet,” Masherah says.
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