Michael Jordan Deploys His $256 Million/Year-Earning Marketing Marvel in NASCAR; Tyler Reddick Accepts the Baton

NBA legend Michael Jordan is currently in a corner as a team owner in America’s most beloved motorsport series. Serving as the co-owner of 23XI Racing along with Denny Hamlin, the star saw his #23 car exit the championship race at the Roval. Going ahead, all his hopes will be on his other car, the #45 Camry and its young driver, Tyler Reddick. Since its inception in 2021, the ongoing season is, by far, 23XI Racing’s best one. And Michael Jordan is looking to bring in some revenue from outside to hype up the competition.

Going to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the talk of the town has been the liveries that the #45 car has sported all through the year. Promoting the brands of Jordan, the paint schemes have been well-received amongst fans and the driver himself.

Tyler Reddick expresses joy at the promotion of Michael Jordan brands on his car

Tyler Reddick had earlier expressed in an interview after the last race at the Roval that the expectations for the Round of 8 were high. Quoting the successful careers of his team owners, he added that he had the speed and potential to make it to the Championship 4. The driver’s history at the track reflects positivity too. Considering the fact that Toyotas have dominated the list of successful cars this year, Reddick’s #45 could turn out to be the quickest at Vegas. But if it doesn’t, it will undoubtedly be the best-looking.

When Michael Jordan got on as a team owner in NASCAR, it was expected that he would merge the worlds of basketball and stock car racing in more than one way. We have surely got a good glimpse of that in 2023. Back in this year’s Coca-Cola 600, we saw Reddick’s car covered in a Carolina Blue color. The scheme was meant to honor the legacy of Jordan as the owner of the NBA’s Hornets. A few schemes later, we once more saw the #45 serving the Air Jordan 5 “Grape” colorway at the Roval. In the first race of the third round at Vegas, the car will pay homage to the Retro Jordan 8 shoes.

Talking to reporter Bob Pockrass about how “cool” he thought all the schemes were, he said, “Like I really enjoyed the one uh that we ran at the 600. But to be mixing it up, like, we have and doing putting it to work like we have been is really really cool. So yeah, this car is really exciting too. I think you know doing the 8 and um all the things around that shoe and the design on the car is really exciting for this weekend.” With Jordan’s driver not having any complaints over the matter, it was up to the fans to provide the final verdict on the promotion and Jordan appears to have hit the bullseye on that front too.

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With fans enjoying the “killer” looks of the #45 car, Jordan’s mission is a success

Over the years since its inception, the Air Jordan brand has become a cultural identity in America. Operating since 1997, it has become a brand that rakes in over $5 billion annually. In FY 2022, the brand is reported to have brought in $5.1 billion. Of these proceedings, Michael Jordan is said to have made approximately $256.1 million, thanks to his deal with Nike. Holding stakes in an entity that bears so much fruit is a sensible tactic, from an economic and marketing perspective to cross-sell between the audiences of stock car racing and basketball. Judging from the reviews that NASCAR fans have been throwing at the paint schemes, it appears the mission is a success.

With online communities overflowing with talks of the black-orange-red livery that the #45 car will sport this weekend, one fan on Reddit wrote, “I’m really digging how the main spokesperson rn for Jordons is a 5′ 5″ dude [Reddick] it really gives me at 5′ 6″ some confidence.” Another follower was able to provide his verdict before the end of the season, saying, “23XI wins the best schemes of the year. Now we wait for the Grimace scheme for Bubba next week.” The unanimous voice that can be heard after the scheme’s unveiling has been a positive one. More following along the lines of, “the 45 has had some amazing schemes, this one is near the top of the charts.” It appears Jordan’s marketing strategy will translate to numbers soon.

What could help towards that would be a win for Reddick in Vegas. The driver will start the race from P8. In just a few hours, we’ll witness the Retro Jordan 8-themed Toyota Camry set the 1.5-mile track ablaze!

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