 Full Series of The LeBrons – including Business, Wise, and Kid – to Hit Hobby, Other Retail in April
CARLSBAD, Calif. (February 9, 2006) – “Don’t be jealous, boy. You ‘aint got it like I got it.” Wise LeBron.
Quoting from Nike’s “The LeBrons” ad campaign – featuring four characters based on LeBron James’ unique personality traits – the line may also be something sports collectors and “sneaker freaks” will soon say to those who weren’t successful in navigating what is expected to be a clogged Web of hopeful purchasers.
The reason? Those who get through online will be the first to purchase Upper Deck’s first-ever urban vinyl sports action figure, a 12-inch heavily stylized designer toy depicting the Cleveland Cavaliers forward’s “Athlete LeBron” persona from the now-famous TV spots.
Upper Deck is releasing a sneak peek version of Athlete LeBron, coinciding with the week of the NBA All-Star Game and featuring the red special edition Nike Zoom LeBron III shoes James will be wearing in the game.
Upper Deck created the edgy, limited edition figure with Nike and will make 750 Athlete LeBrons available online via Upper Deck’s Web store ( www.UpperDeckStore.com) on Feb. 15 while supplies last.
“We are excited to work with Nike and introduce a new style of sports figure to the marketplace. The edginess of the commercials and the various personalities that LeBron portrays in the spots, lend itself well to the artistic nature of urban vinyl figures,” said Dave Sanders, brand manager for Upper Deck Authenticated.
Usually sold in boutique toy shops and through various Web sites, urban vinyl collectibles are limited-edition designer toys that are, for the most part, created by underground artists and released by independent toy manufacturers in very limited quantities.
“We worked closely with our creative team to develop a product line that would introduce sports fans and collectors to the unique styling of this medium while remaining authentic to the underground scene that has supported this new type of collectible toy since the trend emerged a few years ago from Hong Kong and Japan. Several of us at Upper Deck are big collectors of these types of toys so we took considerable care to produce something very stylized and limited.”
According to Sanders, Upper Deck will release the full series of the four characters in April. One thousand individually numbered pieces of each LeBron character, including the popular Business and Wise LeBron who exchange verbal jabs in the ads, will be sold at hobby and specialty shops (MSRP $45).
Sanders went on to mention that the rise in popularity of basketball shoe collecting served as additional inspiration for developing the line. Both the Athlete LeBron and Kid LeBron figures will feature officially licensed Nike shoes and clothing.
Said Sanders, “We paid particularly close attention to nailing the details of LeBron’s shoes. We feel this element will add an interest beyond sports collectibles enthusiasts and casual fans, offering hard-core sneaker collectors an additional way to fuel their passion for the latest kicks.”
While the initial launch of Upper Deck’s vinyl sports action figures will focus on The LeBrons, Sanders added that the company will later this year be expanding into other sports and athletes. The figures will be released under the brand name All-Star Vinyl.
More on Upper Deck’s All-Star Vinyl Collection: Future Lines, Trend of TV to Toy
This is not the first time a character from a television commercial has made the transition from the tube to the toy shelf. In the mid-to-late 1980s, both The ‘Noid (Dominos) and The California Raisins were sold at retail, becoming cult collectibles.
In the fall of 2006, Upper Deck plans to unveil All-Star Vinyl lines in different sports, including football, baseball and hockey. Preliminary sculpts have already been designed for many of today’s top athletes as well as legends from the past.
Urban Vinyl Collectibles: A Description, History
The trend originated in Hong Kong and Japan, recently becoming popular in the United States. A sign of its popularity: at the Toy Fair this February, the industry will be officially recognizing this trend with its own exhibit hall titled “Urban Bazaar: Indie Art Toys.”
Urban vinyl figures, or designer toys, are thought of as not just toys, but as pieces of art. Usually made of soft roto-cast PVC, referred to by collectors as “vinyl”, many of the industry’s product launches are held at gallery openings or release parties where the toys are displayed side-by-side with paintings and other types of art.
About the Upper Deck Company
Founded in 1988, The Upper Deck Co. is a premier global sports and entertainment-publishing company that delivers a portfolio of relevant, innovative and multi-dimensional product experiences to collectors, sports and entertainment enthusiasts.
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