Partner Success Stories
Upper Deck’s Michael Jordan Mobile Memorabilia Store
Upper Deck’s Challenge
Upper Deck is the world’s leading sports and entertainment collectibles and memorabilia provider, delivering fans of all ages and interests opportunities to immortalize their favorite athletes and characters' iconic moments. For 30+ years, Upper Deck has partnered with Michael Jordan to exclusively produce his authenticated memorabilia items, ranging from game-worn jerseys to unique works of art all featuring his highly valuable and sought-after signature.
Carve began working with Upper Deck in the fall of 2022, supporting all facets of the business from media attention & awareness to thought leadership and advocacy relations. In spring 2023, Upper Deck asked Carve to present a recommendation on how to amplify awareness of its Michael Jordan partnership and launch a new curated collection of rare Michael Jordan memorabilia celebrating the 25th anniversary of Jordan’s final championship win with the Chicago Bulls. Upper Deck was already planning on attending The National Sports Collectors Convention, so we saw this as an ideal way to elevate the presence of the new MJ collection.
Results Over a 3-Week Period Included
Media Placements:
42
Media Impressions:
726M+
LinkedIn Impressions:
20K+
Average CSS Score:
10/11
LinkedIn Followers Gained:
+356
Interviews:
11
The Carve Solution
In 3 weeks, Carve created an integrated experiential, media relations, and content strategy to celebrate the collection, amplify news coverage, generate shopper interest, and elevate its presence at The National.
-
Carve crafted the concept of a mobile store where members of the press and the general public were invited to experience the pieces in the collection up close and personal. With the help of City Eventions, we partnered with Upper Deck to design and build a custom, decked-out glass truck as a shrine to Michael Jordan. After all, it’s not every day that someone could check out firsthand a $30,000 pair of Air Jordans signed by MJ himself!
-
We were strategically located right next to a famous Chicago sports bar, - Rizzo’s, where the media met with Upper Deck executives for interviews and had the opportunity to capture beautiful photographs and videos of the collection.
-
We invited national, sports, and local Chicago media to the Michael Jordan Mobile Memorabilia Store, spreading the message on the pieces, Upper Deck Authenticated (the memorabilia division of the company), and Upper Deck’s exclusive 30+ year relationship with the GOAT, Michael Jordan.
Prior to The National, we curated three articles highlighting the unique MJ collection, telling the story behind Jordan’s influence on basketball, iconic moments from the 1988 championship, and the Air Jordan legacy, bringing the history of these exclusive pieces to life.
On LinkedIn, Upper Deck’s President shared posts highlighting both the activation and media coverage, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the memorabilia and experience. This resulted in one of the best LinkedIn performance months to date for the brand and the executive.