Smart Jersey? Nike wants to integrate your next NBA Jersey

[WMGroomAK]

Well, I honestly think the whole integrated products and mobile age has blasted into a whole new level of creepiness with a new integration from Nike on their NBA Jerseys.  According to an Ars Tech article, NBA player replica jerseys being launched on September 29th will have a tag that you can scan using the Nike Connect app in order to provide highlights, stats, player information and all the NBA marketing you could wish for.  It will also supposedly let Nike know where you live and where/when the jersey is scanned.  In a bid to sell more jerseys to videogamers, they have also decided to work with Take-Two Interactive to provide a 'boost code' in NBA2K18 which provides an in-game boost the to player character associated with the jersey.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/09/nba-nike-team-up-for-smart-fan-jerseys-that-know-you-and-where-you-go/

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Now, welcome to the world of the smart jersey. That's right, for $110 or $200, you can buy a Nike NBA replica jersey of your favorite player that connects to your mobile phone.

 

The tag on the jersey, when viewed with your Android or Apple mobile phone using the NikeConnect app, will bombard you with a wealth of NBA marketing as well as all kinds of highlights, stats, and team and player information. It also provides marketers with the Holy Grail of advertising opportunities. Once the jersey is activated, Nike knows who bought the jersey, where that buyer lives, and where and when the jersey was scanned.

Video gamers are also enticed to buy these new jerseys. Fans get a so-called "boost" code to use on the NBA2K18 video game by Take-Two Interactive. The code gives an in-game boost to the player whose jersey was purchased, putting him into beast mode.

 

"Launching on September 29, this innovative marriage of apparel and digital technology gives NikePlus members and NBA fans access to incredible product, customized content and exclusive experiences through the NikeConnect logo on their jersey’s jock tag," Nike says.

 

Nike says tapping the tag will give you team and player content including "pregame arrival footage and highlight packages." Better still, "Tap in on game day to get additional access to exclusive offers" from the app's "Offers" tab. Other "to-be-announced experiences" are coming soon. Scanning the tag also shows a countdown to the next time your favorite team plays and updates a chosen player's stats during a game and provides game highlights as well.

 

[Syntaxvgm]

so wait I'm assuming it's just like a QR code or something? I don't get it, for 100-200$ this is fucking stupid. 

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The tag on the jersey, when viewed with your Android or Apple mobile phone using the NikeConnect app, will bombard you with a wealth of NBA marketing as well as all kinds of highlights, stats, and team and player information. It also provides marketers with the Holy Grail of advertising opportunities. Once the jersey is activated, Nike knows who bought the jersey, where that buyer lives, and where and when the jersey was scanned.

At most I imagine it's rfid, NFC or some kind of simple chip

 

absurd. 

[AkatsukiKun]

I don't see the point of it where you are paying $100-200 for the privilege to be part of an exclusive newsletter group filled with paid ads. At the most I would see that DLC boost for characters in NBA 2K18 worth as a few dollars.

I don't see a justification for it other than someone out there will pay for it.

[ARikozuM]

... Only Nike... would do this... 

 

Faith in humanity shattered ground to dust. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, WMGroomAK said:

The tag on the jersey, when viewed with your Android or Apple mobile phone using the NikeConnect app, will bombard you with a wealth of NBA marketing as well as all kinds of highlights, stats, and team and player information. It also provides marketers with the Holy Grail of advertising opportunities. Once the jersey is activated, Nike knows who bought the jersey, where that buyer lives, and where and when the jersey was scanned.

Video gamers are also enticed to buy these new jerseys. Fans get a so-called "boost" code to use on the NBA2K18 video game by Take-Two Interactive. The code gives an in-game boost to the player whose jersey was purchased, putting him into beast mode.

So the tag on the jersey only gives you lots of information about highlights, stats and team player information and NBA marketing. And it gives marketers lots of advertising opportunities. I think that the integration of all of this information onto a single chip is pointless, because you can always download an app on your phone that already provides this type of information, the company could've at least integrated a fitness tracker into the chip that connects to the app and gives you information about your fitness status. What about the security of your personal information (reminds me of the Equifax security breach), as they claim, when the jersey is activated, Nike knows all information about you, this isn't a good marketing strategy as it will turn buyers away from the product because of security reasons, i mean, when you buy something, don't you want your personal information protected. Why can't Nike just make you buy the "boost" function from the store in the game and make the boost code as a discount code when you purchase it. And when it comes to price, i think its too much for a piece of material that features your favourite NBA star with an integrated chip. 

[Drak3]

Smart and Jersey just do not go together, pyo.

[WMGroomAK]

17 minutes ago, TheBeastPC said:

What about the security of your personal information (reminds me of the Equifax security breach), as they claim, when the jersey is activated, Nike knows all information about you, this isn't a good marketing strategy as it will turn buyers away from the product because of security reasons, i mean, when you buy something, don't you want your personal information protected

Considering that a lot of kids will probably either be getting these or having their parents get them, it makes me think of the recent debacle that Disney has in the US with the apps that is collecting information on minors...  Also, you can only assume that if this is successful for Nike & Take Two in any way that it will eventually make it's way on to the next iteration or as an update to something like FIFA or Madden NFL games.

[captain_to_fire]

I feel bad for parents now 

[piemadd]

i saw this on Saturday, but didn't make an article. who wants to have a screen on their jersey with the stats of their player. (its called a phone)

[SansVarnic]

I know that putting nfc tags on shirts is "techie" of sorts but not really news imo. But ok. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯