AND1 is an American athletic shoe company specializing in basketball shoes and clothing. Founded on August 13, 1993, the company's headquarters were located in Paoli, Pennsylvania
In 1993, AND1 began as a graduate school project partnership of Jay Coen Gilbert, Seth Berger, and Tom Austin while they were graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. The company name is derived from a phrase used by basketball broadcasters: when a player is fouled while shooting, makes the shot and makes the awarded foul shot as well, they score the points for the made basket "and 1" for the made free throw. Early advertising strategies, used to distinguish their products from others, included other basketball slogans and trash talk, such as "Pass. Save Yourself The Embarrassment".
In mid of 1996, NBA star Stephon Marbury became the first spokesman for AND1.
In late 1998, a videotape containing streetball stunts was delivered to AND1 by Marquise Kelly, coach of the Benjamin Cardozo High school team in Queens, New York. The tape contained low quality camera moves, poor resolution and nearly indecipherable audio featuring a streetballer by the name of Rafer Alston. At the time, Alston was a student at Fresno State who had entered the 1998 NBA Draft. The videotape would soon be known as the "Skip tape", referring to Alston's streetball nickname "Skip to my Lou". Alston later signed AND1's first endorsement deal.
If Nathan won't do it
If Tom won't do it
And Jay won't do it
Then go for Siva's model pout instead
If Max didn't hide it
If Nathan didn't hide it
Then why can't I find it
All the guys have tried it on now
And looked wrong somehow
So I'm getting my pout ready
Getting my pout ready now
It's a band photo
We gotta get into a nice straight row
Hope you can't see the creases and they've ordered the pizzas
Being a heart-throb ain't easy you know
Guess what time we get up, get up now
Cause Max won't wash it
and Jay won't wipe it
Don't mean to drop it
But cleaning just drives us out
of our heads
When I'm handed pictures to sign and I'm trying to be patient
But girls all go berserk for their screaming adoration
Because they say it helps it's to maximize flirtation but I must get back to this shoot
This bit's slow mo, then we get back into a nice straight row
As our fame increases, schedules on press releases
And so our fans already know (pause) exactly where to go now
I wonder if I'll be the solo star, but I'm worried if I do depart
Then my place in the band will go
and it'll break up our nice straight row
row row row row row
We're all standing
slow mo slow mo slow mo
It's a band photo, we gotta get into a nice straight row
How you can't see the creases and they've ordered the pizzas
Being a heart-throb ain't easy you know