18 years ago, Masashi Kishimoto began serializing what would become his most important work, Naruto. This anime accompanied an entire generation through their growth, bringing countless joys and tears to many during their youth. It was also 18 years ago that Jordan Sports, a leading brand in China’s domestic sportswear industry, was born. Over the years, through top-notch product quality and unique marketing strategies, it has steadily become a household name and industry benchmark, showcasing the rise and brilliance of national sports to the Chinese people.
Jordan Sports Collaborates with Top Anime IP Naruto
This year, these two names symbolizing passion, dedication, hard work, and perseverance have officially announced a partnership to launch a series of co-branded products. They aim to inspire all young people who hold love and dreams in their hearts to “ignite the passion” and embody the spirit of Naruto.
This is a rare collaboration between a domestic sports brand and a 2D IP, making it especially significant. It conveys Jordan Sports’ youthfulness and individuality to society. Over the previous month, Jordan engaged in various online and offline activities to spark a nationwide wave of Naruto nostalgia.
Gathering Fans to Reignite the 18-Year Naruto Dream
Under the theme #IgniteThePassion, Jordan Sports launched a series of topic-based campaigns across various social platforms. First, Jordan partnered with the largest Naruto fan hub in China — the Naruto Baidu Tieba — to initiate the “Reignite the Dream’s Will – Naruto 18th Anniversary Fan Gathering” campaign. Fans were invited to design T-shirt patterns commemorating the 18th anniversary of Naruto, sparking a wave of creativity. Dozens of imaginative designs emerged, and after fan voting and support, the brand selected three to print on T-shirts, which were gifted to the designers and participating voters. Since Naruto’s conclusion, related activities had dwindled, leaving fans’ passion needing an outlet. This campaign quickly garnered widespread response from Naruto enthusiasts across platforms. The Naruto Tieba saw unprecedented activity, with the current moderator mobilizing fans from all levels—from peak shinobi to new sprouts in the Leaf Village—to actively participate. Talented artists contributed original hand-drawn illustrations expressing their love for Naruto, while fans built threads to support their favorite artworks, sharing personal reflections on the Naruto spirit and stories of how it ignited their own “passion.”
At the same time, Jordan integrated scenes of its brand ambassadors engaging in intense battles with characters like Naruto and Sasuke. Through prize-winning contests on its official Weibo, fans were invited to vote for their favorite Naruto characters and battle scenes, while countdown posters to the official campaign launch were released—sparking a wave of Naruto nostalgia among fans. With the support of a series of topic campaigns and influencer endorsements, the #IgniteThePassion hashtag ranked No. 1 on the anime popularity list on March 13, causing a sensation in the 2D community.
In a subsequent event on April 1 within the Naruto Tieba, Jordan officially offered the highly anticipated co-branded products as rewards through a “reply-to-win” format, rewarding long-time supporters of the Naruto Tieba. Fan enthusiasm surged, with over 2,000 replies in just a short period, making it one of the biggest events of the year on the Tieba. Whether through co-design, livestreams, or reply-to-win events, Jordan's several campaigns on the Baidu Naruto Tieba achieved major success. These initiatives truly brought the brand into the Naruto fan community and helped fans understand the value and meaning behind the brand.
Online-Offline Synergy: Jordan & Naruto Co-Branded Line Makes Its Hot Debut
As more and more fans joined in, on March 12, Jordan released a Tmall Gathering Day poster and invited numerous influencers to speak out. The official Naruto fan community Weibo, cosplay artists, and popular anime accounts all voiced their support simultaneously across various social platforms. From March 13 to 15, the #TmallGatheringDay Jordan Sports & Naruto co-branded T-shirts made their hot debut at Jordan’s official Tmall flagship store.
That evening, China’s top Naruto cosplayer — Lan Ling Xiao Xiao Sheng — live-streamed the new product launch, interacting face-to-face with fans. Xiao Xiao, a passionate lover of action anime, shared her bond with Naruto and gave away a flurry of 100,000 red packets during the livestream, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch. At the same time, she helped Naruto fans across China pay maximum attention to this nationwide “Ignite the Passion” campaign, sparking widespread enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, to meet fans’ high expectations for the Jordan & Naruto collaboration, Jordan Sports transformed its nationwide physical flagship stores into Naruto-themed spaces for fans to take photos and interact. Those unable to visit stores could also participate in the “Naruto Sealing the Nine-Tails” mini-game by scanning the Jordan logo with AR or searching Taobao dome keywords to earn coupons. This truly achieved online-offline synergy, allowing fans to relive the youthful days of chasing Naruto together.
Blazing Into April: Nationwide Product Launch
On April 15, 2018, 133 stores nationwide will simultaneously launch the Naruto co-branded products. Fans can then visit stores to freely choose their favorite apparel, wear their beloved characters, and reignite their Naruto dreams.
Whether through online collective nostalgia or offline fan gatherings, the campaign achieved tremendous resonance and success. This reflects the high popularity and topicality of Naruto among young people, as well as the exceptional status of Jordan Sports among domestic brands. In the future, Jordan Sports will deepen collaborations with 2D IPs, gain deeper insights into the post-80s and post-90s generations, and promote the brand’s core values into the hearts of every young person.