What Nike does best...

No product push needed

Taking an internationally and socially relevant event like the New York Marathon and using a wide out-of-home (OOH) campaign as a brand awareness play—rather than a chance to push the latest Pegasus—is Nike at its best.

Throughout the marathon, Nike had countless billboards scattered across New York City. Not one of these featured products. Instead, they leveraged a bold design system (the same one they've employed since the Olympics and other marathons around the world) and spoke directly to the more than 50,000 runners registered to tackle the 26 miles. By doing this, Nike addressed their core audience: athletes. Remember their mission statement? While this is still a large group, it’s important to note that 8.25 million people live in NYC. As the old branding saying goes, "If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one." Nike understands this better than most.

By speaking directly to the running audience, the campaign also captured the attention of a valuable secondary market: the two million-plus people who lined the streets to cheer on friends and strangers. If these spectators ever decide to get off the sidelines and into the race, what’s their first step? Likely buying a pair of Nike running shoes to associate with the brand that understands ‘athletes’. When that decision rolls around, the Pegasus 41 may be old news. However, Nike’s brand campaign was never about immediate sales; it was about sparking a lasting connection and inspiring the next wave of runners to take their first stride.

Images By DuBose Cole
Via BrandGully

As always, thanks for reading.