After successfully fusing two brainchilds of Tinker Hatfield in the Air Jordan III and Nike Air Max 1 for last year’s celebration of Air Max month, the Swoosh and the Jumpman are at it again. This time around, the legendary Air Jordan IV dons the neon yellow and various shades of grey from what’s arguably one of the most iconic Air Max silhouettes of all time: The Air Max 95.
The fours not only pick up on some of the most striking design clues of the Air Max like the black midsole (a first for the uber-successful lineup of runners at the time) but picks up some of its material stories as well. The reflective Nike Air branding on the heel unmistakably points to the shoe’s OG inspiration.
To celebrate the arrival of the Air Jordan IV ’95 Neon, BSTN is paying homage to original release 25 years ago with a photographic bow to one of the most outstanding campaigns of Nikes ample history: The Phone Ads Series.
Co-created with infamous marketing agency Wieden+Kennedy, campaign sticks out like a sore thumb among the plethora of highly successful Nike video advertisements. Running in print magazines throughout the mid 90s and blessed with a rare density of all-timers among the featured product, the Phone Ads still rank among the most influential Swoosh campaigns ever and an absolute BSTN favorite.
In addition to its unquestionable rank among great Nike marketing activations of the past, the Phone Ad’s characteristic design is especially fitting for the Air Max 95 since the trademark Swoosh was added belatedly to the runner’s design.
From the design to the color to the little Swoosh, it all caused controversy. I had initially designed the shoe without a Swoosh because we believed the design was aesthetically strong … so we positioned it as a signature, a sign off on the shoe.
Sergio Lozano, Air Max 95 designer, via SneakerFreaker
The signature sign off can be found on the Air Max 95 collar as well as throughout the ad’s various motifs. While paying homage to this classic campaign was a no-brainer, BSTN does not offer any guarantees in regards to the original phone numbers still working.
The Air Jordan IV ’95 Neon releases at BSTN on Saturday, March 21st at 9 am CET. To purchase your pair simply click the button below!
