LeBron James 'we dare you' direct mail campaign

In 2010, basketball star LeBron James became the most sought-after free agent in sporting history.

Every team in the country was after him, but the most audacious approach was a direct mail campaign dreamed up by some committed Chicago Bulls fans at Leo Burnett Chicago.  

They mailed him a pair of original Air Jordans, together with a note challenging him to ' fill these shoes'. Could he measure up to the legendary Chicago Bull, Michael Jordan?

They also posted him a box with space for seven championship rings, which is how many Jordan won.

Finally, they took out a spread in LeBron’s local newspaper to show him what a sports page in the Chicago Tribune might look like in 2020, if he had the bottle to join the Bulls.

The campaign generated acres of publicity on TV and online. LeBron wasn't up for it - he went to Miami - but this campaign boosted the legend of Jordan, enabling the Bulls brand to puff out its chest another couple of inches.