▁over ▁the ▁next ▁eight ▁weeks , ▁distributed ▁across ▁basketball ▁cam ps , ▁clin ics , ▁record ▁labels . ▁The ▁t ape ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁first ▁" M ix ▁T ape ", ▁and ▁quickly ▁made ▁Al ston ▁into ▁a ▁celebr ity . ▁When ▁AND 1 ▁became ▁a ▁product ▁partner ▁with ▁Foot Action , ▁this ▁strategy ▁evol ved ▁into ▁a ▁national ▁program . ▁ ▁Starting ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁a ▁free ▁AND 1 ▁Mix ▁T ape ▁was ▁given ▁with ▁any ▁purchase . ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁t apes ▁were ▁distributed ▁in ▁the ▁span ▁of ▁ 3 ▁weeks , ▁making ▁this ▁promotion ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁in ▁U . S . ▁ret ail ▁history . ▁Fil mm akers ▁were ▁then ▁sent ▁across ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁capture ▁and ▁find ▁the ▁next ▁street ball ▁legend . ▁▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁- ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁with ▁the ▁Mar bury ▁signing ▁and ▁the ▁Ra fer ▁Al ston ▁discovery ▁two ▁years ▁later , ▁AND 1 ▁began ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁NBA ▁players ▁to ▁wear ▁their ▁product , ▁a ▁major ▁power ▁play ▁in ▁compet ing ▁with ▁the ▁bigger ▁br ands , ▁such ▁as ▁N ike ▁and ▁Ad idas . ▁Play ers ▁like ▁L atre ll ▁S pre well , ▁Kevin ▁Gar nett ▁and ▁Jam al ▁C raw ford ▁brought ▁AND 1 ▁into ▁the ▁national ▁spot light ▁and ▁helped ▁them ▁secure ▁sh elf ▁space ▁in ▁major ▁foot we ar ▁ret ail