Air: Film & Story Structure

Looking at key story elements from the 2023 film 'Air'

Air (2023) is a film about the story of Nike signing Michael Jordan and the creation of “Air Jordan”. The shoe, the marketing, and even the endorsement deal were all revolutionary in the sports wear industry.

The film was directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery.

Opening Images

The film opens with a montage of images from 1980s pop culture. This places the film within the context of endorsement deals and sports heroes. It shows us the state of pop culture when Michael Jordan was about to enter the NBA and sign his deal with Nike.

Inciting Incident

Sonny Vaccaro and Nike’s basketball division are tasked with selecting rookies to sign with their allotted endorsement budget.

This leads us to what the story is really about and hooks the main character, Sonny, into the storyline.

Act One Plot Point

The climax of the first act occurs when Sonny decides to focus their entire budget on a single player: Michael Jordan.

His intent to sign Michael introduces his dramatic need and leads us into the second act of the film.

Midpoint

To prepare for their meeting with Michael, the Nike team goes to work designing a brand new shoe. Their new idea of building a shoe around the player, instead of putting players in their shoe, comes to life. They decide to name it ‘Air Jordan’.

From this point on, they are aware that what they’re trying to do is groundbreaking within the industry.

Act Two Plot Point

Sonny and the Nike team make their pitch to the Jordan family and await their decision.

With Michael trying to decide between Nike, Adidas, and Converse, we progress into the third act.

Climax/Resolution

Michael agrees to sign with Nike after they agree to his terms that include a percentage of Air Jordan shoe sales.

Lesson In Strategy

Though the narrative theme was that of persistence, I thought the most important takeaway from the film was actually a lesson in marketing, or, more specifically, a lesson in how to differentiate yourself or company.

In order to compete with larger, more established basketball brands (Adidas and Converse) for Michael Jordan’s signature, Nike created a strategy that differentiated themselves. Instead of competing head-to-head, where Nike had no advantage, they flipped the situation upside down. Whereas Adidas and Converse told Michael he’d be part of their star-studded roster (Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, etc.), Nike told him he’d be their only focus. The fact that Nike was smaller than their competitors appears to be a disadvantage on the surface. But when Nike frames their offer in a way that puts Michael front and center, it actually becomes an advantage.

It’s a similar strategy to DDB’s famous “Think Small” campaign for Volkswagen. Or their “We’re only number 2, so we try harder” campaign for Avis. A perceived weakness is flipped and becomes a perceived strength.

Thanks for reading.

-Bryant

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The Story Department is where I write about the story structure of films. I focus on identifying key story elements so we can break films down and see how they work.

“Hollywood… Not a place on the map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream, wonder, and imagine.” -Michael Eisner at the dedication of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This idea serves as my catalyst for writing about film and story structure.

Hollywood, as a creative state of mind.