There was a time when Dwayne Johnson, commonly known as The Rock, took the world by storm with the On shoes he wore to the 2020 Super Bowl. In a recent conversation, Roger Federer, a stakeholder in the company, discussed how that moment helped the brand gain huge popularity.
Recently, Federer collaborated with Complex Sneakers and went on a shoe shopping spree with them in New York. This provided the Swiss maestro with an appropriate opportunity to promote his co-owned Switzerland-based shoe brand. When the conversation about On began, the host couldn’t help but ask about the significant moment when American wrestler and actor The Rock donned On shoes.
Despite being in a partnership with Under Armour at that time, the wrestler wore the On Cloud X shoe during the promo of Super Bowl LIV in 2020. Discussing the impact of this move, Federer confessed that he still visits YouTube to rewatch that particular sequence from the promo as it pumps up his energy.
“I still go back to that sequence on YouTube sometimes and I check it out because it’s so… it pumps up the energy of this presentation of the team is epic, I thought,” added the Swiss maestro.
He also revealed that the company was on cloud nine to learn that a popular celebrity like The Rock wore the shoe, which undoubtedly enhanced the brand’s awareness among others.
“A lot of people all of a sudden look towards On maybe because of a moment like this. As a smaller brand from Switzerland, ‘Who are they? What do they do? That was a big moment when The Rock wore, I remember that.”
Over the years, Roger and Dwayne have developed a friendly relationship, and they have not hesitated to publicly express their admiration for each other.
Federer and The Rock’s Friendship
Federer once shared an image of himself on Twitter, displaying a focused expression. Deciding to give The Rock a shoutout for his then-released movie ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,’ Federer captioned the image as, “Hey @TheRock, am I doing the “Smoldering Intensity” right?”
The ‘Smoldering intensity’ was one of the key features of Johnson’s character in the movie, Dr. Smoulder Bravestone. The American actor replied to Federer and labeled him ‘GOAT.’ He added that, just like the tennis legend, his character also doesn’t have any weaknesses.
“When you’re the GOAT there is no wrong brother. Perfect form. And like Roger, “Dr. Smolder Bravestone” has no weaknesses.
When you’re the GOAT there is no wrong brother. Perfect form
for those who don’t know.. “Smoldering Intensity” is one of my character’s strengths in #Jumanji. And like Roger, “Dr. Smolder Bravestone” has no weaknesses
https://t.co/KdS76H1nec— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 12, 2018
Federer’s On is on the right track to becoming one of the world’s leading footwear brands. The brand has already signed tennis players Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton as ambassadors, as well as the famous American actress Zendaya.
