In 1992, at a time when viral marketing was not yet a concept, Upper Deck pulled off an unforgettable marketing prank. The sports card company secretly set up a billboard in Chicago: it had a completely white background and simply read "Trade Jordan." This initiative quickly became local news and then national news. Trade Michael Jordan? The superstar of the Chicago Bulls was a name who led his team to consecutive championships and won the MVP award in the process.

Of course, this was a hoax. Upper Deck was not trying to convince the Bulls to trade MJ; rather, they wanted to announce something new: a special licensing agreement for trading cards. The visuals of this agreement eventually replaced that plain white billboard.

35 years later, Upper Deck has revived this iconic billboard, featuring Michael Jordan in a new video marketing campaign. Jordan continues his partnership with the brand, and this collaboration persists despite how much the sports and media world has changed. The slogan of the new campaign is "You Don’t Trade Greatness, You Keep It for a Lifetime."

Upper Deck announced its new partnership with Jordan, describing him as the "Legacy Partner." This title will provide the NBA legend with more control over which collections will be produced while also implementing measures against counterfeits in a market where celebrity and sports autographs are in high demand. Jordan stated, "I am proud to be Upper Deck's first Legacy Partner. For over 30 years, this partnership has been about creating unique things that collectors can’t find anywhere else. I look forward to what’s to come in the future."