The cross-cultural relationships in the market are growing at a great pace. The phenomenon of an athlete linking up with a non-USA brand is nothing unique. In the NBA, we see players forming long-term relationships with a bunch of brands that are of foreign origins. Japanese brand Rakuten represents the Golden State Warriors team and the influx of Japan-based corporates is huge in the league. This cross-cultural amalgamation produces some interesting paradigms.
In another major, marketing move by a Japanese corporate giant, LeBron James shows his pearly whites again.
LeBron James finds his quotes in an apt place
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Making LeBron James the face of your brand automatically captivates millions. His negotiation skills, coupled with his amicable expressions, make him a great advertising personality. As someone who hit billionaire status last year as per Forbes, James has generated a lot of wealth through name recognition. The on-the-court success has manifested into a plethora of opportunities where the superstar can shine.
This is why collaborations of the highest quality are imminent. In one of those collaborations, Japan’s Sony brand, which has a market cap of $116.26 billion, decided to hire the services of the electric baller. Considering its incredible PlayStation product has a lot of users in the NBA, who better than James to market the product?
And what better way to do it than centering the content of your product around James’ philosophy?
Last month, PlayStation announced they’ll release wireless controllers and consoles centered around James’ “I Promise” campaign. James dropped a video on Instagram, celebrating the release of these consoles and controllers.
View this post on Instagram
In his Instagram video, an over-the-moon James stated, “My Goodness! This is insane right here. You guys understand that a kid from Akron having a collaboration with PlayStation. Oh My Goodness! Nothing is given, everything is earned. I gotta give a special shout out to PlayStation. You guys are unbelievable for this collaboration. This is so dope.”
LeBron’s history as the face of 2k games and his adoration for gaming makes him an incredible fit. That’s why the quotes by the Los Angeles Lakers phenom are inscribed on the body of PS 5’s products.
Fans react to the viral video
Fans gave a wild reception to this video drop and also made hilarious comments. A commenter quipped, “Ni**a you can buy the whole sony if you wanted lmaoo”.
Another fan quipped, “Nothing is given” ……..while being given a free PlayStation 😂😂😂😂. The irony 😂😂😂. #NoHate”.
A fan found the way he said PlayStation creepy. The user wrote, “He tried to do the creepy playstation voice at the end”.
A commenter mocked the idea of LBJ’s quotes all over the products. The commenter stated, “Real talk, I could’ve hooked up that lil a$$ decal sticker for ya bro”.
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A die-hard fan is willing to go all in. The user wrote,”I’m buying 100 just for you your highness🥰“
LBJ’s son Bronny is also deeply connected with gaming and is a part of Faze Clan. However, the team is in turmoil. They recently laid off 40% of staff due to a financial crunch.
But the James clan need not worry about financial troubles.
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Watch this story: “LeBron Is the GOAT, He Made Messi Speak English”: Following Inter Miami Debut, Lionel Messi’s Thank-You Note to Lakers’ Billionaire Excites Fans
Do you dig LeBron’s collaboration with PS? Do share in the comments below.