Celebrity Name: Flau’jae Johnson
Brand Name: Samsung (feat. Google Gemini)
Represented By: Kia Brooks
Deal Type: NIL Brand Partnership — Campaign Star & Team Galaxy Roster Member
Announced: March 22, 2025 (Team Galaxy signing); “Basketball Couture” campaign content released February 2026
Impact: Adds to Flau’jae’s estimated $4.5M+ NIL portfolio; extends her brand into AI, fashion, and tech storytelling alongside over 40 existing partnerships
- LSU star Flau’jae Johnson is the face of Samsung’s new “Basketball Couture” campaign, spotlighting the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Google Gemini.
- The spot, directed by Chelsea Odufu, features Flau’jae using Google Gemini’s viral #NanoBanana image-gen trend to “try on” AI-styled outfits in a rapid-fire fashion montage.
- Kia Brooks, Flau’jae’s mom and NIL momager, appears in behind-the-scenes content, giving fans a candid look into how the campaign came together.
- The partnership is part of Samsung’s growing “Team Galaxy” athlete NIL roster, which Flau’jae joined back in March 2025.
Flau’jae Johnson is doing it again. The LSU basketball star and rapper has teamed up with Samsung for a bold new campaign called “Basketball Couture.” It’s turning heads and timelines fast.
Directed by Chelsea Odufu, the spot centers on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Flau’jae uses Google Gemini’s #NanoBanana image-gen feature to virtually “try on” a series of outfits.
The result? A rapid-fire AI-powered fashion montage — equal parts tech demo and full-on style flex. It’s the kind of creative that fits right alongside other athlete-meets-fashion moments, like when Bad Bunny partnered with Adidas to launch “The BadBo 1.0” sneakers and turned a product drop into a cultural event.
The campaign also includes “Tunnel Fit,” a companion piece showing Flau’jae putting together three showstopping looks. This isn’t her first major multi-brand moment either. She joined forces with Puma alongside LaMelo Ball and Breanna Stewart.
What makes this Samsung drop feel different is the behind-the-scenes content. Flau’jae brought her mom and manager Kia Brooks, widely known as her “NIL momager,” on set with her. The raw footage makes this feel less like a polished ad drop and more like a real peek into how her brand runs day-to-day.
Johnson’s NIL valuation sits at an estimated $1.5 million, backed by over 40 brand partnerships. The Samsung deal adds serious weight to a portfolio that already includes Powerade, JBL, Amazon, and Puma. It echoes how other elite athletes are turning brand equity into real business power — like Giannis Antetokounmpo, who recently joined GoPuff as both shareholder and strategic partner.
Beyond basketball, Flau’jae has been working on her next music project, 4 My Fans Again. She also released “What It Takes”, the official March Madness 2025 anthem, as part of her Powerade deal.
Takeways:
This campaign is a masterclass in athlete-brand alignment. Samsung didn’t just slap a logo next to an athlete, they built a concept around Flau’jae’s actual personality: bold, stylish, and unapologetically creative. The #NanoBanana AI styling angle is clever because it makes the technology the entertainment, not just the backdrop.
The inclusion of Kia Brooks is a smart move too. It signals that Flau’jae’s brand isn’t manufactured, it’s a family operation, built with authenticity. That kind of storytelling resonates deeply with Gen Z audiences who can smell inauthenticity from a mile away.
Is Flau’jae Johnson becoming the face of AI-powered NIL marketing for the next generation of college athletes? Does this kind of AI-driven styling make tech ads feel more authentic or more experimental to you?
