Nike, NBA Tap into Marketing Power of Atlanta Hip-Hop with Hawks-Branded Clothing

Staff Report From Metro Atlanta CEO

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

The Atlanta Hawks have chosen homegrown superstar Jeezy to unveil the club’s Nike “City Edition” jerseys, announcing the hip-hop titan will debut the new threads during a halftime performance against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, Dec. 14. The four-time Grammy Award nominee will also take over the team’s Instagram account as he hosts several industry influencers and lucky fans at the game that evening.

“I told y’all back in 2008 that ‘I put on for my city,’ so it’s only right that I’m the first person to rock the ‘City Edition’ jersey for the Hawks,” said Jeezy. “I’m going to wear the brand-new jersey one night and drop a brand-new album the next day.”

Nike equipped all NBA teams with a “City Edition” uniform as part of their 2017-18 jersey kits. To complement their Atlanta-centric jerseys, the Hawks will release a “Volt and Black Collection,” featuring a full line of black apparel highlighted with the club’s signature Volt Green hue.

“The Nike ‘City Edition’ uniform allows us to represent Atlanta in a very artistic manner on the court,” said Melissa Proctor, Atlanta Hawks EVP and Chief Marketing Officer. “We can’t think of a better way to introduce this unique jersey to our fans than to bring in Jeezy, who personifies ‘True to Atlanta’ pride.”

Jeezy’s halftime performance at the Hawks vs. Pistons contest will come one day before he releases ‘Pressure,’ his eighth studio album. The appearance will also mark The Snowman’s return to the Hawks’ in-game concert series, as he previously took to the Philips Arena hardwood in 2015. On Dec. 14, the in-arena Hawks Shop and HawksShop.com will offer limited-edition, Jeezy-themed merchandise as well as items from the “Volt and Black Collection.” The “City Edition” uniforms will be available via an upcoming presale through the team’s retailer.