“After learning how much free advertising she had been giving to various apparel companies, Cheyenne decided to really lean into it.”

TIPS & TRICKS

MBA Lessons from an NBA Christian: Jonathan Isaac’s Unique Take on a Lifestyle Brand

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Here’s the unfortunate reality – a lot of the time, when a celebrity starts a consumer products brand, the “lifestyle” they try to tie in with its merchandise is something less than admirable. You have Kanye’s Yeezy brand, which historically promotes a sort of aloof solipsism (and now open anti-semitism, such as the infamous “Adidas” shirt they sell). Gweneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand “Goop” is wasteful and just plain weird (click on that link at your own risk – we did say they were weird). A lot of rapper brands encourage infidelity and promiscuity. A lot of athlete brands encourage arrogance.
Is the concept of “lifestyle marketing” even savable?

Jonathan Isaac, a Christian and a fine defensive player in the NBA, plays forward for the Orlando Magic. Outside of basketball, he is outspoken in his thoughts on politics, culture, and faith, and he is most known for his decision to stand during the National Anthem at a time when every single other player in the league knelt, amidst the BLM protests. He even wrote a bestselling book about the experience titled Why I Stand.

Now, Isaac has set his entrepreneurial sights on the clothing and shoe industry, like many NBA stars before him have done. What is different, however, is that in 2023 he did not sign a deal with your run-of-the-mill lifestyle brands such as Nike or Adidas, who he felt did not align with his values. Instead, he started his own brand called UNITUS.

“I wanted to create… an alternative and give lovers of God, lovers of country the freedom to wear their values in a cool, stylish way,” Isaac says. His flagship shoe, the Judah 1, features lion imagery and scriptures. “UNITUS gives you a way to confidently wear what you believe, without compromising style or performance,” the brand’s website says in its “About Us” section. The clothing is fairly unremarkable, except for a preference for muted earth tones, a retro tracksuit, and a neat logo that looks like a set of pilot’s wings. Hoodies are $11, shoes are $150, and sweatpants are $65, while t-shirts go for $40.

The prices aren’t a lot different from what you see from Nike – who used to sponsor Isaac. Now, he’s split from the $130 billion company and has gone out on his own in a difficult and crowded category. That takes courage, but courage is something that Isaac has in spades, and we can take a lesson from him. UNITUS isn’t poised to topple Nike anytime soon, but if Isaac can carve out a niche, produce a good product, and put forth a lifestyle that promotes things of actual value, that’s a big win.

As businesspeople, we’re always going to keep a close eye on the dollars and cents, as we should. But people like Jonathan Isaac remind us not to lose our distinctiveness as Christians, and that means so much more than the Bible verses on the shoes. It’s about integrity, loving what God loves, and having the courage to step out on your own when you have to.
Sometimes, it isn’t about the money- not first, anyway.

The money seems to be coming in, however. Revenue for UNITUS is not publicly available, but we do know that they have sold out and restocked at least two of the shoe models they sell. In a category as tough as basketball shoes, that’s a pretty good start.

Quick Hits

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• Blackstone President Jonathan Gray says, “We can see the pillars of a real-estate recovery coming into place, specifically in regards to the multifamily/rental market.
• The Wall Street Journal traces several shifting narratives on the stock market and encourages investors to be clear-headed and eyes-open when placing bets.
• Pew Research Center offers “6 Facts about Americans and TikTok” for those wanting to understand the reach of the social media platform in our country.
• Church Leaders encourages pastors and elders to “fight the urge to make your small church look big,” instead valuing the intimacy and connectedness of a smaller body.