Driving or working out and can’t read this post? Watch the video:
Nike dropped a video yesterday. On YouTube alone the spot has 1,628,826 views and is #50 on Trending. It should be noted that this video has slowed considerably in viewership on Day 2.
This tends to note that the brand placed AdWords behind the video and this is not organic viewership. As a comparison, the “Our Turn” video discussed below is only at 11,000 views after 10 days. This number isn’t negligible and is actually solid for a longform YouTube video when Shorts have been given priority on the platform to offset TikTok.
I wrote an analysis of Nike’s ability to change directions, 5 Reasons Nike is Always a Few Changes Away from Correcting Major Issues:
5 Reasons Nike is Always a Few Changes Away from Correcting Major Issues
I made this statement (it’s long):
In 2019 Nike’s advertising was 9.6% of revenue. In 2023 Nike decreased the budget to 7.9%. It’s important to note that almost every year of growth for Nike was supported by a consistent 9-10% of revenue being utilized to advertise. During Donahoe’s tenure air.jordan.com was removed.Prior to Donahoe’s tenure Nike controlled the narrative around their product. There were ad spots featuring Questlove and Kyrie. Black History Month collections were better. Nike Basketball had lost some relevance, but the most memorable moments for Nike since Jordan jumping through the air were the MVP Puppets, Kobe jumping over an Aston Martin, the Galaxy Pack…
Nike’s insistence on Direct growth left holes in the advertising of sneakers and smaller brands utilized a combination of in-house campaigns and marketing to reach an all but forgotten running market. If it weren’t for ShaCarri Richardson sprinting would be owned by adidas and New Balance and distance would be owned by On Running and Hoka.
When Nike was able to focus on marketing as opposed to distribution, they were stronger and more agile.
Until [Nike] stops attempting to be a Consumer Direct Acceleration brand and become what they’ve always been, a great wholesale partner and advertising wonder, Nike will continue to follow their fans instead of leading them.
I wrote that brands had time to take advantage of the Swoosh’s issues. If this video is Nike reverting, that window is closing. Nike is obviously going to fire a thousand shots before, during and after the Olympics. In my research July has seen an uptick in consumer interest in the Swoosh. Not to settle into a comfortable position Nike has rolled out a bevy of content built around the Paris Games.
Great Athletes Remind the World There’s Nothing Wrong With Wanting to Win
The accompanying website goes with the video above. The site gives Nike athletes an interactive platform providing insight into the maniacal mindset a competitor must have to gain an advantage. The site is engaging and even utilizes the late Kobe Bryant in the strategy. Over the last week here are the different forms of content the brand is moving forward with.
As Nike delivers media, other brands will be drowned out and they will be forced to make a decision, spend big or spend conservatively. This is absolutely critical as the Paris Olympics will not be a temporary bump. As the Olympics end the 776 Track event will launch, the return of the WNBA season will culminate in a potential three-time championship team and the start of the NFL and NBA preseason will be right around the corner.
All of these things happen right as back-to-school season starts. In July, by my research, Nike has already begun to pick up steam at retail again and consumers are engaging with third party platforms to purchase products. There is an inherent issue with this as Nike has created such a massive issue with reselling and scarcity many consumers assume products aren’t available on the Nike platform. Nike is using their marketing push to possibly offset consumer behavior.
Introducing the Air Jordan XXXIX
The Jordan Flagship is no longer the driver of sneaker culture and basketball that it once was, but what Nike does when they do release the sneaker is engage the international community where basketball is a growing sports phenomenon. With the introduction of the Jordan 39, the company has also delivered Our Turn.
Through basketball tournaments and communities globally, Jordan Brand will invite 20 young men and women to Paris – District 23 – for something greater than gold. A chance to become a part of the Jordan Brand family as a Brand Ambassador.
Representing cities from across the US (NY, Chicago, LA), Asia-Pacific (Philippines, Japan, Australia), Europe (London, Paris) and many more, hoopers will compete for the chance to be named ‘The One’ – the best one-one-one player in the world. In what will be exhilarating match up’s where they will leave everything they have on the court two winners will come out on top for bragging rights as The One and will embark on a year-long partnership with Jordan Brand.
After qualifying rounds taking place in Shanghai, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and several other cities globally all summer, 20 players will arrive in Paris to play-in for a spot in the Finals bracket and then an advance or knockout play where in the end, a male and female winner will be crowned.
Our Turn is Nike at its best, but it’s only one aspect of the push.
Introducing the Nike Jam, the First Shoe Created for Breaking
Unlike any other time in the history of sneaker culture, which was founded on the clash of sport and Hip-Hop, brands have an opportunity to highlight both aspects with collections built for the athletes competing in the Olympics. Breaking has finally been added to the Games and viewership on YouTube provides a window to how successful the competition will be in connecting a founding aspect of Hip-Hop with sport.
The Futura x Nike spot has already pulled in 41,000 views in 5 days, but a more important statistic has been the Breaking highlights on the Olympic Channel from Shanghai. The video has generated 175,000+ views in one month.
This number could be better, but athletes have to use ‘canned’ music and the video teams have no idea how to coordinate the camera angles for the competition. Nike won’t be able to advertise specifically for their athletes during the Olympics, but what the athletes will be wearing could completely alter how youth culture engages with the footwear and apparel of the Swoosh. Nike understands this and they’ve rolled out the Nike Jam.
In a sign that Nike isn’t quite Nike, the name of this sneaker is terrible. It is however on trend as it is styled like a retro running sneaker. After watching various qualifiers, the event will be akin to gymnastics and will cause a lot of back and forth over how the Games will be scored. Nike’s outfitting of Teams United States, Korea and Japan will give the brand strong positioning to finish on the podium.
When I originally wrote the 5 Reasons analysis, I did so to explain that a “bad” Nike is still capable of operating better than a good “other”. Here are the recent announcements from other brands. Some of the upcoming strategies from the different companies aren’t bad. Some are simply mindboggling:
Under Armour Welcomes its Newest Brand Ambassadors: Haley and Hanna Cavinder
The Cavinder Twins left school to join the WWE. They transferred colleges in pursuit of NIL money. They have now returned to the University of Miami to capitalize on NIL and they will influence absolutely no one to wear Under Armour. Under Armour continues to chase trends and cool and this signing is reflective of a brand disconnected from any aspect of sports and culture.
adidas Teams Up With Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” to Reveal Exclusive Collection
adidas is targeting kids during what is expected to be a blockbuster film. They have also rolled out the “Hoka” like UltraBoost in an effort to revive the franchise. Their emphasis on soccer boots is commendable, but for the U.S. market Deadpool won’t rival anything from Nike and removes the brand from sport when the brand could have rivaled Nike’s Our Turn with an Anthony Edwards led project here in the U.S.
The WNBA x New Balance Arrangement Arrives as the League Nets 2.2 Billion TV Deal
New Balance is locked in. Their recent WNBA connection and the athletes they have in partnership during the Olympics is second to none. What are some other brand strategies you’ve noticed? Do you agree that Nike is applying pressure?