Toronto’s hero of the NBA Finals, Kawhi Leonard, didn’t just get the keys to the city, he got a free jet deal from Cargojet akin to Toronto rapper, Drake. Just weeks later, the hero of “the six” moved to the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Kawhi Leonard Leaves Toronto Just Weeks After NBA Finals
Enthusiasm and pride swelled around the Toronto Raptors following their first-ever NBA championship. Toronto stand-out, Kawhi Leonard, was all but royalty for his performance in the finals. His time in Toronto has come to an end, however. Following the season his stock has never been higher. Leonard was a Free Agent and has found a new home with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Cargojet Looks Pretty Silly Now
Last week I wrote about Leonard receiving a free 767 jet in a deal that mirrored another beloved Toronto hero, Drake. When details of the deal weren’t initially revealed, mainstream media filled in what they presumed to be the details of the deal, CNN suggesting that Drake had spent $220 million on the aircraft. In fact, Cargojet charged him nothing for the plane, expensing it instead to Marketing.
Leonard’s deal shortly followed Drake’s and in the span of a few weeks, Cargojet has handed out two jets to Toronto legends.
Marketing is a Double-Edged Sword
Riding the wave of sudden fame, Cargojet drafted on the enthusiasm for newly minted champions and continued their moment in the spotlight in the way that a regional cargo airline likely never has before. I don’t have access to their Google Analytics but I am relatively confident they have never had more brand awareness in a positive light than the last few weeks.
The problem is that now Leonard is no longer a Toronto legend at all. Even if Cargojet intended to retire the equipment (I believe they did) and got a great deal on a less-flashy overhaul (almost without a doubt), they still gave away an airliner to someone who loved their shared home of Toronto so much that he left just a few weeks later.
Now, the carrier is seen as an oddly starstruck and a little bit ridiculous giving away wide-bodies to get close to stars that may not love them back. They look needy.
Conclusion
If Cargojet wants to give Toronto legends all of their retiring jets, that’s fine by me. If I were a shareholder, I’d raise more questions about why re-fitting the equipment and giving it away is worth more than parting them out – a good marketer could make that case. However, I would doubt that sales will follow as a result; cargo customers aren’t likely swayed by celebrity endorsement. With Leonard bolting from Toronto, Cargojet looks ridiculous.
What do you think? Does it change the benefits of Cargojet’s brand ambassadorship when Toronto stars leave Toronto? Does it extend their presence? Is it all just ridiculous or sound marketing strategy?
Just being nitpicky, he wasn’t traded. He signed as a free agent. The spurs traded him because he was being whiney.
Hal, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I had it both ways throughout the post but of course it can’t be both and you are correct, he was a free agent, not traded.
It wasn’t Toronto’s first divisional title you dip-shit! Research a topic before you write about it so you don’t end up looking/sounding like a dumbass as you do now.
My mistake, conference, not divisional. So hostile.
I thought Canadians were supposed to be polite, sheesh!
Kyle – Just an FYI. the 767 given to Drake (N767CJ) is not a retired cargo jet. Is a jet formally belonging to “Mid East Jet” If you read the cargojet share holders package.. found easily on google – you will see it was bought as a 22 year old VIP plane (ex N767KS) and re-registered by Cargojet and given to Drake. It is listed as engine stock. CJT bought the 22 year old vip plane, and has no doubt taken the low time engines from it – for the cargo fleet, and replaced them with older engines in the inventory. This alone ( 2 low time engines) was worth the cost of the plane etc.. Drake does pay for the maintenance and crews etc.. as a yearly expense. (per CJT lit). The media often quotes it as a retired cargo plane – an error. Thanks
@Airuphere – Many of these details were not available at the time of publication, so I appreciate you filling myself and the readership in.
It may be semantics, but if a jet is purchased solely for the engines and then will be rendered without value – is that materially different from “retiring” the asset. I understand the claim you’ve made and find validity there, but I think in essence the deal is the same, a deal that had not been publicly shared at the time of my speculation. Cargojet had an airframe they no longer wanted to use, they “gifted” that aircraft to a well-known celebrity “ambassador” who then promoted the airline as a result. The engine swap is immaterial to me as it arrives at the same conclusion which was a FAR cry from the CNN’s claim that Drake had purchased a $220MM jet.