Garrett Wilson's viral 'Jumpman' captures an unscripted moment for Adidas

Garrett Wilson put Adidas in a strange position when he did his best “Jumpman” impression, a one-handed, leg-spread catch in the end zone that helped the New York Jets to a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday night.

The unlikely catch was an unreleased marketing moment that brands dream about – the problem is that it resembled the iconic logo of Adidas competitor Jordan Brand, a Nike-owned clothing company inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan.

The touchdown grab, reminiscent of Odell Beckham's one-handed catch a decade ago, caught the attention of his Jets teammates, including Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams, a Jordan Brand athlete, who joked that Wilson could lose his Adidas sponsorship. Adidas issued a statement saying, “He's not going anywhere,” and Wilson himself posted a photo of the catch on Instagram on Friday night with a lyric-inspired caption from rapper and former Adidas partner Kanye West, who gave the Jumpman one Missed a swipe.

According to Apex Marketing Group, the viral moment generated $2.5 million in media value across television, radio and online news on Halloween. “[Adidas] “It just takes people talking about their man,” former Adidas marketing guru Zach Soskins said in an interview. “Jordan didn't need this (visibility) moment, but Adidas did in this climate. You just always want iconic pieces.”

Adidas then took to social media light-heartedly, writing: “Who?” to a post on X that linked the piece to the Jumpman. It was the football account's first NFL-related post of the season that wasn't about Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the face of Adidas football. Even though it wasn't the ideal marketing moment for the brand, the German sportswear giant will look to capitalize on it where it can, be it as part of a print ad, a social media post or otherwise, to showcase its marketable star , which takes place in New York.

“You take it as you can get it,” Soskins added.

Since his youth wearing Adidas, Wilson has been playing elite ball, playing in 7-on-7 high school football tournaments in his home state of Texas. Wilson, a former basketball standout, provided a special moment with all-black cleats to match his game. However, it may be difficult to tell from the footage whether these are actually Adidas-branded shoes. However, Wilson's Adidas gloves are more visible.

“I would have completely mixed feelings,” Howe Burch, principal of Twelve Consulting, said in an interview about comparing it to the OBJ catch. If the narrative is that it's reminiscent of Jordan and the Jordan brand, I wouldn't like that if I worked for Adidas. I’m sure they love it for the public to see, but it’s still a shot of the hook, which is essentially the Jordan logo.”

Wilson, who signed with Adidas before being drafted in 2022, received a boost in mainstream attention with the catch. While the former Ohio State star will still be on the Three Stripes roster next week, it will take more than a supportive statement from the organization to keep him there as his name recognition grows. Beckham, now a cleat free agent, famously saw his popularity skyrocket after his one-handed catch, also at Metlife Stadium. His relationship with Nike ended in litigation earlier this year.

Adidas is expected to continue gaining market share this year as Nike deals with a decline in sales and takes on new leadership. According to RunRepeat, the Swoosh remains the category leader, with Adidas coming in second with around 37% of soccer cleat sales share last year. The moment comes at a special time when more soccer players, both professional and collegiate, are being heavily marketed alongside footwear companies and emerging brands like New Balance, which released its first soccer shoe this summer.

Tom Webb, chief marketing officer at APP, believes Adidas likely preferred a more controlled marketing environment where there is no sign of a competitor, but doesn't think it will have much of an impact from a sales perspective. He points out that consumers are often loyal to multiple brands and that an unscripted moment is what matters most.

“Social media has really given us the opportunity to capitalize,” he said in an interview. “What drives fans and sponsors to sport is the unpredictability.”

Adidas hopes Wilson can continue to develop into a star wide receiver in the largest media market in the country. Some team success would help. The Jets ended their five-game losing streak this week while Wilson made the “Catch of the Year,” according to Adidas. It wasn't how the brand would have written it, but sometimes a win is a win when engagement is high.

“The question is what they do with the moment,” Burch added. “It's an opportunity that you can take advantage of. They don’t want to use the images reminiscent of Jordan, but I’m sure they’re smart enough to figure it out.”