NTWRK, Peacock Collab On Will Smith and Bel-Air Sneaker Sale

Fans of Will Smith and the Peacock’s reboot of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” had a special treat this week if they like to buy show merchandise and were already adopters of livestream shopping app the NTWRK.

The two companies today announced the release of an exclusive drop of Bel-Air-inspired sneakers, set-used props, wardrobe from both the new and old series, and other fan collectibles ranging from $1 raffle entries to a $1,000 Bel-Air Academy jacket. The catch was that super fans needed to be entered into a drawing on NTWRK in order to participate.

The collectibles release came a day before the season finale of “Bel-Air,” which launched on Feb 13, 2022 and went on to become the fourth most in-demand show available on streaming networks, according to Parrot Analytics. And, all proceeds from the sale – which included memorabilia such as Will Smith’s Bel-Air Basketball Jersey and Practice Jersey and Carlton Banks’ heather gray Bel-Air Academy 3-button cardigan with the school’s official crest – go to Philadelphia non profit Coded By Kids.

Separately, a “Kicks Collection” features seven iconic gym shoes worn by stars in both the original NBC series and the reboot, which is now reimagined as more of a modern drama.

Of those “kicks,” the collection references the 1991 Eastern Conference semi finals with a pair of Air Jordans that Smith wore as a subtle tribute to Michael Jordan. The shoes, a pair of the white “Infrared” Air Jordan 6s, were featured in the season three finale. Smith wore them two years after Jordan first wore the black “Infrared” 6s for his first NBA championship.

Other key sneakers that are for sale include:

• Air Force 1 High ’07 from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” They were worn 12 times throughout the series’ run.
• Air Jordan 1 “Heat Reactive” Mid. They were worn in the reboot, “Bel-Air,” Season 1, Episode 2.
• Air Max 180 “Ultramarine.” They were worn on the original “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Season 2, Episode 8 in 1991.

Smith and his fellow characters embodied 90s fashion at the height of the show’s popularity, and the reboot – especially with its artful reimagining of sister Hilary — is a frequent conversation starter on both Twitter and Facebook.

The merch drop via NTWRK, a company that Forbes had previously described as where “entertainment meets e-commerce,” is a smart move when it comes to enticing already-online viewers to livestream shop. As shoppers viewed the merchandise in app, a trailer for Bel-Air showed in the background. The merch sold out within hours of the drop, which of course leaves fan wanting more items.

In-the-know trend shoppers who want to buy what they see are the target here. The three year old e-commerce platform targets Millennials and Gen Z shoppers, collectors and fashionistas.

NTWRK is not alone in the high end merch market, even if the method of delivery hinges on an online experience. Last week Drake, Netflix and the show “Top Boy” released exclusive clothing tied to the series. Machine Gun Kelly also fairly recently launched sales of merchandise in anticipation of his upcoming world tour. Many of those items are now sold out.