The 2008 Best List: People: Kobe Bryant

“Kobe” has been known to be a great basketball player, but also as the self-absorbed superstar that broke up one the most prolific dynasty’s in NBA history. His personal life was mostly noted for a very sloppy and public extramarital sexual assault scandal with a hotel receptionist in Colorado & he has been, with the exception to Barry Bond’s one of the least liked superstar sportsmen in the modern era. Nobody has denied his phenomenal talent on the basketball court, as he has often been compared to the likes of Michael Jordan & before the age of the 30 he is already being acclaimed as a hall of famer. His numbers don’t lie. However, until recently, he hadn’t been able to project the amicable superstar persona that the modern day sports fan had been accustomed to. His failure to make the right moves, be at the right spots & control his message severely tainted his image. I don’t know if Kobe saw the scowls on fan’s faces, or heard our grumblings, but Kobe was inspired in 2008… Kobe was inspired to brand.

On the court, it had been all about Kobe. With a laundry list of public gripes with Phil Jackson and Lakers GM Mitch Kupcheck amidst trade rumors, fueled by a young unproven nucleus, there would be growing pains. However, somewhere along the way Kobe decided to play for the future. Instead of forcing, he is finessing. Playing the role of facilitator, cost him a little off of his personal averages, but it earned him his first NBA mvp in 2008. Coupled, with a trip to the NBA finals and a renewed rivalry with longtime foe, Boston Celtics, they were headlines made for prime-time media.

When Kobe was accused of sexual assault 5 years ago (which he was acquitted for), we thought we viewed the public demise of Kobe as a pitchman, but since Kobe has worked to reposition his brand marketing portfolio. In the last two years, Kobe picked up a new deal with Sony, as coverman for their video game NBA 07′. Kobe also acquired a deal with Coke owned Vitaminwater and was featured in campaigns along with Lebron James, Dwight Howard, & his former “championship compadre” Shaquille O’Neal. And though they kept him under the radar for a while, Kobe never lost the brand marketing giant, Nike. His shoe has seen a steady increase in sales and his contract was recently renewed in 2008 to be the featured frontman for their Olympic basketball shoe, the Hyperdunk. Kobe went on to “wear the shoe” as the captain of the 2008 USA Oympic Men’s Team and his last minute heroics  led them to gold in Beijing 2008 for the first time since 2000.

The most notable endorsement featuring Kobe  in 2008 had to be that of Guitar Hero World Tour, where we finally showed the lighter side of the Kobe Bryant brand. The ad features Kobe rocking the mic, with fellow sports men Alex Rodriguez, Michael Phelps, and Tony Hawk on the back-up. It was the first installment of their campaign inspired by the 1980′s pop culture hit, Risky Business, with Kobe & crew clad in pajamas-all to the tune of the track, “Old Time Rock and Roll.” Check it out-it is hilarious! :

We’ve talked about him for all the wrong reasons in the past, but we were talking about him for all the right reasons 2008. It was great year for the Kobe Bryant brand!

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