John Kim 
Ad campaigns play a major role in consumer sales, and for sneakerheads, that bodes especially true. There’s a story to tell behind every sneaker, and over the last few decades, we’ve seen some of these stories come to life in the form of television commercials. Charles Barkley, an anti-hero of sorts, is presented as ‘not a role model’ (eating donuts, being generally abrasive), or Terry Tate, the office linebacker hired to maintain a high level of workplace productivity. No ad campaigns have been as profound as the Air Jordan campaign, going from the comedic (Spike Lee trying to convince us that ‘it’s gotta be the shoes’) to one where Michael himself reflects on his own imprint on the future of the NBA (the legendary ‘Maybe it’s my fault’ message). In any case, Complex just listed the 50 best ad campaigns of all-time, so take a look at a sample of what you can find below and head to Complex for the entire feature.
