AND1
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| AND1 | |
 |
|
| Type | Private corporation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Paoli, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Key people | CEO of AND1:Seth Berger CEO of American Sporting Goods: Tom R'iordan |
| Industry | sporting goods, basketball |
| Products | Athletic shoes, apparel, sports equipment, accessories |
| Revenue |  $150 million (FY 2005)[1] |
| Website | http://and1.com |
AND1 is an athletic shoe manufacturer specializing in basketball shoes and apparel. Founded in 1993, its US headquarters are located in Paoli, Pennsylvania.
Contents |
[edit] Company history
In 1993, AND1 initially began as a graduate school project partnership of Seth Berger, Jay Coen Gilbert and Tom Austin. The company name is derived[citation needed] from a phrase used by basketball broadcasters: when a player is fouled while shooting, and still scores a basket, the referees awarded the points for the made basket "and 1" for the made free throw.[2] Early advertising strategies, used to distinguish their products from others, included other basketball slogans and trash talk, such as "Pass. Save Yourself The Embarrassment".
In late 1998, a videotape containing streetball stunts was delivered[citation needed] to AND1 by Ron Naclerio, coach of the Benjamin Cardozo High school team in Queens, New York. The tape contained low quality camera moves, poor resolution and nearly indecipherable audio featuring a streetballer by the name of Rafer Alston. At the time, Alston was a student at Fresno State who had entered the 1998 NBA Draft. The videotape would soon be known as the "Skip tape", referring to Alston's streetball nickname "Skip to my Lou".[citation needed] Alston later signed AND1's first endorsement deal.[citation needed]
In 1999 at Haverford College in Philadelphia, AND1 shot their first series of commercials and print ads incorporating NBA players Darrell Armstrong, Rex Chapman, Larry Hughes, Raef LaFrentz, Toby Bailey, and Miles Simon. When the traditional marketing campaign proved unsuccessful, a strategy was formed to use the "Skip tape". It was edited and reprinted into 50,000 copies and over the next eight weeks, distributed across basketball camps, clinics, record labels. The tape would become the first "Mix Tape", and quickly made Alston into a celebrity.[3] When AND1 became a product partner with FootAction, this strategy evolved into a national program .
Beginning in the Summer of 1999, a free AND1 Mix Tape was given with any purchase. Approximately 200,000 tapes were distributed in the span of 3 weeks, making this promotion one of the most successful in U.S retail history. Filmmakers were then sent across the country to capture and find the next streetball legend.[4]
[edit] Tour history
On October 31, 1999, David Bender initiated the first AND1 free tournament. It was held at Hunter College's gym and called the "Platinum Player" game, featuring local talents.[5]
By June 2000, AND1 released "Mix Tape, volume 2" simultaneously with its first sneaker, "The Tochillin", which sold out nation-wide.[citation needed] In February 2001, "Mix Tape 3" was released. By June 2001 the company officially trademarked "AND1 Mixtape Tour".
The first AND1 show, "StreetBall: The AND1 Mix Tape Tour", was televised by ESPN. For the first time to a national audience, the success and popularity of the tour was shown. During the Fall of 2002, the show's eight episodes were amongst the highest ratings in ESPN history.[citation needed] These episodes later became available in VHS and DVD format at Circuit City, Blockbuster, and Best Buy stores. "Mix Tape 5" would become the #1 top-selling sports video in the United States.[3]
By 2005, AND1 had achieved international success. Brand revenues grew from $1 million in 1993 to over $150 million in 2005. AND1 footwear and apparel sold in more than 130 countries and were worn by the New Zealand, Slovenian, Puerto Rican and Turkish national basketball teams.[1]
On May 18, 2005, AND1 was sold to American Sporting Goods.[6]
[edit] AND1 Team
AND1 maintains a team of streetballers, including players such as 50, Circus, Hot Sauce, Helicopter, Air Up There, Main Event, Half-Man Half-Amazing, The Professor, AO, and The Playground. Every year, AND1 players tour America to recruit the next streetball legend. This recruiting has since been edited for airing as "Street Ball" on ESPN and ESPN 2.
[edit] Video games
EA's NBA Street, published in 2001, featured dunks and passes in AND1 fashion, but was licensed from the NBA. In 2002, Activision announced the first AND1 video game called Street Hoops, featuring AND1 players.
| Title | Publisher | Developer | Platform | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Hoops | Activision | Black Ops Entertainment | Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube | November 28, 2002 |
| AND1 Streetball | Ubisoft | Black Ops Entertainment | Playstation 2, Xbox | June 6, 2006 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Company revenue revealed during buy out. HipHop Press. Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
- ^ AND1 History. NBC Basketball (UK). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
- ^ a b AND1 history AND1 history. Retrieved on [[2006-12-06]].
- ^ Chicago Sports Review. Chicago Sports Review. Retrieved on [[2006-12-06]].
- ^ 1st game information. Harlem Internet Publications. Retrieved on [[2006-12-06]].
- ^ AND1 buyout. Hoopsworld. Retrieved on [[2006-12-06]].
[edit] External links
- Company website
- Official AND1 forum
- And1: Well-Fed Street Cred (The Chicago Sports Review - October 2005)
- StreetballVideos.net's And1 Page
Categories: Articles lacking sources from March 2007 | All articles lacking sources | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Shoe companies of the United States | Clothing companies of the United States | Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States | Companies established in 1993
