Carmelo Anthony Stars in New Marketing Campaign in Support of the Melo M3 Debut

November 15, 2006 | 12:00 pm

BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Capitalizing on the momentum garnered from his All-Tournament selection at the 2006 FIBA World Championships and the pending launch of his third signature shoe, NBA sensation Carmelo Anthony will star in a new integrated marketing campaign that includes advertising, online and event elements, Jordan (a division of Nike, Inc.), announced today.

The advertising campaign is headlined by national television ads that break tonight during the BET Hip Hop Awards on November 15. Like the print ads, which have launched in basketball, urban and men's interest publications such as Slam, Dime, ESPN the Magazine and XXL, the television campaign stages the dichotomy of an on- and off-court Carmelo. The TV spot, titled "B'Clutch," depicts interlocking moments of Carmelo the man and Carmelo the athlete, offering fans a deep look into the substance and style that make up the ever-rising star.

The online portion of the campaign follows the advertising thematic and showcases the different sides of Carmelo. The campaign uses several different digital extensions to communicate Melo's message. Leading up to launch day, exclusive trailers teasing the M3 launch will be released on Jumpman23.com's JordanTV. These trailers will also be pushed out via iTunes video podcast channels and other sources on the web. Additionally, consumers will be encouraged to create their own original Melo video tributes to populate community video sites on the web.

Athletes and celebrities will celebrate the launch with Carmelo at a Hollywood premiere of the M3 in Los Angeles on Thursday, November 16. In addition to M3 movie theater décor both inside and outside the venue, the event will feature a screening of Melo trailers and TV spots.

The integrated campaign promotes the introduction of the third shoe in the Melo collection, the M3, which hits stores the day after Thanksgiving. The shoe features several "customized" Carmelo elements, including his birthname "Kiyan Iriate" at the medial forefoot, Baltimore's area code (410) on the back of the shoe, his Denver Nuggets number (15) on the toe of the shoe and a thumbprint inside the shoe designed with words he feels represents who he is (i.e. Powerful, Respect, Gemini, etc). Anthony is currently the only basketball player aside from Michael Jordan to have a signature shoe in the Jordan line.

"This campaign will give consumers a better understanding of Carmelo as a true leader both on and off the court. As his stardom continues to unfold, people want to know more about Carmelo as a person. Hopefully the ads, commercials, web site and themed events will give fans some of the insight they crave," says Roman Vega, Brand Manager of Jordan.

About Jordan

A division of Nike, Inc., Jordan is a premium brand of footwear, apparel and accessories inspired by the dynamic legacy, vision and direct involvement of Michael Jordan. The brand made its debut in 1997 and has grown into a complete lifestyle collection of sport, casual and style products. The Jordan brand remains active in the community by donating a portion of its proceeds to Jordan Fundamentals, an education grants program for teachers.

For more information on Jordan, visit www.jumpman23.com.

About Carmelo Anthony

In his first year as a pro, Melo averaged 21 points per game and led the Nuggets to one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history, transforming a previously uncompetitive team into a playoff contender. Melo's talent and leadership did not go unnoticed as he was chosen as a member of the 2004 USA Olympic basketball team after just one NBA season.

Since his rookie Campaign, Melo has only gotten better, averaging over 20 points per game in his second year and 26.5 points per game (8th overall in scoring in the league) this past season. Besides being a scoring machine, Melo has acquired a reputation for being a tremendous performer in the clutch. During the time period from the beginning of the 2003-04 season to the end of the 2005-06 season, he hit 11 out of 17 game-winning shots, by far the most of any player in the NBA. Following the 2005-06 season, Melo was rewarded for carrying the Nuggets into the playoffs by being named to the All-NBA Third Team.

In the summer of 2006, Melo was chosen as captain of Team USA. He has been a standout performer for the US team thus far, including breaking the US scoring record in a game with 35 points against Italy in the FIBA tournament earlier this summer.

Melo's success on the court, along with his charismatic personality and contagious smile, has made him one of the most recognizable athletes off the hardwood. He has been featured on shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman and The Jimmy Kimmel Show as well as on the MTV hit series, Punk'd and MTV Cribs. Melo has also made a cameo appearance on singer Ciara's music video for her hit song entitled "And I". He is also the spokesman for several companies including Jordan, C1.5, Perfect Jumper, and others.

Melo became engaged to hip-hop artist Alani Vasquez (La La Vasquez) on Christmas Day, 2004. They are expecting a baby in May of 2007. For more information on Carmelo, please visit: www.carmeloanthony.com.