The way LeBron and his camp handled the announcement disturbed many in the league, press and public. He was widely panned as being selfish and ego-driven, and even basketball legends Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley publicly chided his actions. The damage LeBron suffered to his brand and overall image was immense and might prove to be irreparable.
The fallout was so bad that one of his biggest sponsors, Nike, recently felt the need to roll-out a highly publicized TV ad for its superstar. The 90 second commercial, LeBron Rise, attempts to repair his image while addressing the offseason criticism for his poor handling of the announcement. The reviews were mixed, but it did lead to a sharp, funny rebuttal, Response to “LeBron Rise,” from Cavaliers fans.
Cleveland was not the only ones to spoof the commercial; the creators of the comedy show South Park and the Ultimate Fighting Championship poked fun at the new Nike commercial. (If you need a laugh, I recommend viewing them on YouTube – warning: clips contain strong language.)
To LeBron’s credit, he did purchase a full page ad after his “decision” in his hometown paper, the Akron Beacon-Journal, thanking his family, friends and supporters. Interestingly, the ad did not mention or thank his thousands of fans and supporters in Cleveland.
In the end, one commercial or an entire ad campaign is not going to repair LeBron’s image. While winning a championship (or five) might help, it’s going to take a very concerted effort from LeBron and his handlers to mend fences with fans and the public. However, based on his latest Nike TV ad and the public’s reaction, it appears that won’t happen anytime soon.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.
