Nike has just launched a new pair of sneakers featuring Moroccan Zellige patterns. The promotional video was filmed in Casablanca and features artisans and the designers who pay homage to their Moroccan roots. This stance by Nike counters the mistake made by Adidas, its competitor, which flocked the jerseys of the Algerian football team with these traditional Moroccan patterns.
“For the first time, Jordan Brand partners with legendary Parisian boutique Opium to tell their unique story through a limited-edition product. The design evokes Opium’s Moroccan roots,” Nike says on its website to describe the new limited-edition Jordan Ship SP, set to release on July 6.
The Parisian boutique Opium, founded in 2001, the result of a collaboration between Yace and Mounir, two young creatives from the Moroccan diaspora in France, was chosen to create this unique pair of Jordans that will delight collectors.
“The mosaic pattern was created in Opium’s in-house studio and is inspired by traditional zellige, a decorative glazed tile handcrafted in Morocco,” Nike noted on its website in a description of the new Moroccan Zellige-inspired Jordan shoe.
With this collaboration, Nike has demonstrated its ability to combine innovation and respect for local cultures. With this model paying homage to Moroccan zellige and the cultural heritage of the founders of the Opium boutique, the sports accessories manufacturer has adopted an intelligent and strategic approach.
Nike appears to have had a deep understanding of cultural sensitivities and a desire to celebrate Moroccan artisanal traditions through this new Jordan, in contrast to the wave of indignation caused by the cultural appropriation of this same Moroccan Zellige that ended up on the jerseys of the Algerian national football team.
Indeed, it is difficult to dissociate the release of this model by Nike from the context marked by the controversy involving Adidas. Faced with the outcry, the Ministry of Culture had gone online to threaten to resort to justice. To avoid litigation, Adidas had presented a public apology and recognized the cultural importance and Moroccan origin of Zellige.
For its part, Nike had a stroke of genius and signed a marketing masterstroke by adopting a more respectful approach and explicitly recognizing the Moroccan origin of zellige. The manufacturer ensures not only to respect cultural rights but also to promote Moroccan craftsmanship.
Through this strategic approach, Nike has managed to position itself as a player that respects and values local cultures, avoiding any controversy, unlike Adidas’ clumsy approach.
His idea of collaborating directly with the creators of Opium and highlighting their origins and their Moroccan cultural heritage will certainly create a positive impact on Nike’s brand image.
