If you’re old enough to have worn Air Jordans when they first debuted, you’ll most likely remember the brand’s “Genie” ad from 1991, starring Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon.
The commercial showed the character stumbling across a magic lamp, rubbing it, and prompting Little Richard emerge in a cloud of smoke to grant him a single wish.
Now, during the Grammys on Feb 1., Jordan Brand is bringing the genie back for Gen Z in a two-minute film called “Generational Greatness,” developed by Wieden+Kennedy. This time, she’s played by Reno 911! actor Niecy Nash, who pops out of a Nike Air Jordan 6 to offer Ironheart star Regan Aliyah one shot at magic.
The commercial opens with Aliyah sitting on a stoop, before a man on a bike runs over her new Air Jordan 6 Infrared Salesman shoes. She rubs them in annoyance, and Nash suddenly appears asking, “What do you want?”
As she tries to decide, Nash shows Aliyah some possible wish-list scenarios featuring powerful women that have changed the game, such as Oscar nominee Teyana Taylor, basketball forward Napheesa Collier, choreographer Bada Lee, and rapper Awich.
Back on the stoop, having considered her options, Aliyah tells Nash she wants “all of it.”
“Girl, that’s something we can work with,” replies Nash, clicking her fingers and making a brand new pair of Air Jordans appear out of thin air. The ad ends on Jordan’s “All or Nothing” tagline.
“Generational Greatness” will run globally on social and other platforms, with the women featured starring in more locally-focused campaigns in markets including Europe and Greater China.
A ‘generational run’
The push comes as Nike-owned Jordan Brand celebrates its 40th anniversary, and in the midst of a “brand reset” led by chief marketing officer (CMO) Caitlin Sargent, designed to get the jumpman on Gen Z’s feet and engage existing fans.
“Our consumer is telling us we’re on a ‘generational run,’” Sargent told ADWEEK. “They’ve noticed a difference in our storytelling.”
In Nike’s 2025 fiscal year, Jordan Brand brought in $7.27 billion in revenue for the group, marking a 12% decrease from 2024. But since the start of 2025, the brand’s engagement rate has tripled, Sargent revealed.
“There’s a groundswell of momentum that Jordan is experiencing,” she added. “We’re highly competitive, and want to keep pushing, the team is totally behind this and working as one.”
