When Nike began to assert its dominance in the sneaker world in the 1980s and 1990s, a key component involved storytelling in its commercials. They were fun, creative and uniquely connected to the athletes featured.
Those components made the commercials for A’ja Wilson’s A’One signature shoe from Nike one of the best campaigns in years, with nods to how Wilson grew up and her journey to becoming a premier WNBA player — highlighting her career all while incorporating a remixed version of the children’s hand game “Miss Mary Mack.”
For years, the sneaker world was dominated by men, and sneaker talks focused on men’s shoes. A pink colorway sometimes was the most visible nod toward women in the sneaker space. That’s shifted in recent years, with more women having signature shoes and the women’s game continuing to grow in popularity.
The A’One shoe allowed Wilson to tell the story of a young, Black girl’s life with images that connect with a younger generation. She’s now interested in telling another story with the upcoming release of her second signature shoe, the A’Two.
“I think that’s a beautiful thing when you have a company that is willing to figure you out and be like, ‘Now how can we present you as your true, unapologetic self to the people?’” Wilson told The Athletic in an exclusive interview. “I think we executed it perfectly, literally back home. … Those small pieces go a long way, and I think it’s something we haven’t really seen at Nike for a very long time.”
A detail of A’ja Wilson’s A’One signature shoe (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Wilson will be on a European tour from Tuesday through Sunday to promote the upcoming release. The A’Two is scheduled to be released May 2. The A’One quickly sold out with its initial release last May.
At a time when the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which Wilson declined to discuss, is a big topic and the Unrivaled championship game is scheduled for Wednesday in Miami, Wilson’s basketball focus in Europe will be to connect with people.
“I’m so glad that I can go over there on nice, calm terms, because any other time, I’m playing for an Olympic gold medal or playing for something, and it’s like the stakes are high,” Wilson said. “I want to give people more so they can have things to really relate to me other than just watching me run up and down the basketball court. I’m super excited to go on this journey.”
On the court, Wilson had another dominant season in leading the Las Vegas Aces to another WNBA championship, her third with the team. She became the first player in the WNBA or NBA to win a championship, league MVP, finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and a league scoring title in the same season.
Wilson said it’s important that women’s stories are told, not just on the court but also in how their merchandise is showcased. She is intimately involved in the details of telling her story, whether it be through the shoe ads or for the shoe itself, in which she said she’s “99 percent” involved by providing input and hidden messages in the design.
“This isn’t something that we just slap a logo on or slap a name on, make it pink and say, ‘OK that’s a woman’s shoe,’” Wilson said. “It’s more like let’s do a deep dive into these women and showcase why they are greater, what they do and why they deserve this signature shoe or this P.E. (player edition) or anything that they’re working on.
“I think the storytelling is so key, particularly as to who we are and what people want to grab onto. I’m excited that we’re finally getting to showcase the love that we need and the respect that we’ve worked so hard to get.”
The idea behind last year’s commercial to advertise the A’One was to create something memorable. Coming up with an idea to showcase the A’Two, she said, will be a welcomed challenge. She added that she still gets excited seeing her shoes worn by others — celebrities included.
One such moment still stands out from last season.
“Usher came to a game, and he had a pair of my A’Ones on. He was sitting courtside, and I’m, like, that’s pretty crazy,” Wilson said. “Someone that’s so big in Black culture and music culture as a whole is rocking the A’Ones, I think that was super cool to see. But anybody that wears the A’Ones, I’m always beaming with so much light, because it’s like, oh my gosh, that’s something that I’ve been working on. But Usher was probably the top one.”
As for the commercial for the A’Two shoe, expect it to follow in the footsteps of the A’One. Look for it to tell a new story of Wilson’s life.
“I don’t know how we’re going to top it,” she said, “but we’ve got some things.”