Multi-media Campaign

Lebron James in Nike's Multi-Media Campaign "Rise"

Nike created a LeBron James “Rise” multi media advertising campaign in October of 2010. LeBron James is a two-time NBA MVP, who has been very successful in his NBA career. The campaign focuses on controversies he has faced off the court and speaks in his own voice throughout the commercial. By James speaking in his voice, he establishes credibility with the audience and is able to relate to them. Rise features several sides of LeBron’s personality: athlete, competitor, comedian and businessman. The commercial starts with LeBron in a chair talking to the camera. The commercial travels through different issues that LeBron has been apart of off the court and continually asks the audience “what should I do?” The film ends with LeBron driving to the net and saying in response to everyone, “Should I be who you want me to be?”        

The screenshot above is a collage of all the different scenes that LeBron talks through. Nike wanted to embody an advertisement that included text, audio and video by this multi media campaign. Rise was created by Wieden & Kennedy and premiered on TV on TNT on October 26, 2010, during one of the most highly anticipated games, the season opener against Miami and Boston. The TV debut followed the earlier presentation of the commercial on YouTube on October 25, 2010. The TV ad was seen on sports and entertainment networks including, TNT, ESPN, and Sports & Youth Cable, as well as MTV2 and NBA TV. “In Rise, we amplify LeBron’s voice,” said Davide Grasso, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing. “Were celebrating his courage to forge his own journey even when others may have disagreed with his decisions.” Grasso and Nike stood behind LeBron has he voiced truth to the public and his fans. Nike promotes the Just Do It spirit that defines LeBron and Nike as they are both trying to inspire young athletes to be all that they can be, regardless of the mistakes you make. 

Cause Marketing Advertisement

        One of Nike's largest cause marketing events was the campaign called LIVESTRONG. The campaign started with Lance Armstrong, won has won more Tour de France titles than anyone else. Armstrong was diagnosed with testicle cancer in October of 1996. The cause started with the iconic yellow rubber bracelets with LIVESTRONG imprinted into the rubber. The bracelets generated over $70 million for the Lance Armstrong foundation. From the start, Nike built LIVESTRONG to not only raise money for the Armstrong’s cause, but also as a popular apparel and shoe line. 

         The Nike LIVESTRONG advertisement was created through flash digital in 2004. The ad was seen in athletic apparel stores such as Luke’s Locker, Academy, Dicks, Finish Line, as well as magazines like ESPN, Sports Illustrated and many more. The purpose of the advertisement was to promote that “we” as a human race are all together. We all go through struggles, hardships, promising times, as well as, health and sickness. Nike wanted to promote the beliefs that someone going through cancer or an illness is not alone. Nike backs the people up and enforces the idea that humans are “more than one.” One of the truths this phrase holds is that we, as people, must stand next to each other as hardships and illnesses arise. We are stronger as a whole. Life was meant for We instead of just the individual. 

Event Marketing Advertisement

Nike Event Marketing Advertisement

NIKE'S FOREST GUMP

            Jason Lester was born just like any normal person. At the age of 12, he was riding his bicycle and when a car hit him. He had 21 broken bones, a collapsed lung and a paralyzed right arm. As he was recovering, he lost his one and only parent. What could have been the end of his story became the beginning of a journey. Since the accident, Lester has become an accomplished tri-athlete and the first disabled athlete to complete the Ultraman World Championships.

            Because of Lester’s recent success, Nike decided to sponsor him. The Nike advertisement was done through flash digital and was released online in April of 2012.  The ad was designed to sponsor Lester on his grand adventure of crossing America, both on foot and by bicycle in 102 days starting on March 12, 2012. Lester makes his final destination in Nike’s home turf, Oregon. Nike suited Lester with gear and equipment to help make this journey possible. He will be tracking his every move, until he reaches the finish line, through social media so that people can follow and support him.

            Nike promoted Lester’s journey because they recently reinforced the company’s commitment to sustainability, in a very public way. They released a campaign called Nike Better World, which stand behind athletes with some sort of need to help be successful performers. Jason Lester had a need and was supported by Nike. He creates his own journey for a Better World, as he travels across the United States. The advertisement promotes the message that a better world starts with sport. The ad encourages people to stand up and support Lester as he stops at 39 Nike Stores, sharing how “sport inspires, hope, instills discipline, raises confidence and rallies communities” (Miller*). The Nike ad encourages people to support Jason as he commits to serve the world and make it a better place as he inspires others. Jason has been tagged the nick name Nike's Forest Gump that stuck with him throughout the whole journey. 

Source:

*Mark Miller, writer for brand channel

http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2012/05/02/Nike-Better-World-Jason-Lester-050212.aspx

Digital – Online Display Ad, Advergaming or In-Game Advertisement

These Nike advertisements are in-game advertisements and appeared in sports video games.

Above: Basketball In-Game Advertisement

The first advertisement (above) is done through flash digital medium. The ad comes through with the basketball player holding a pair of Nike basketball shoes. He is pondering the thought of wearing these to make him perform better. Through the in-game advertisements, Nike is using product placement to advertise. According to Bloomsberg Business week, a study by Double Fusion stated “ in-game ads aren’t anything new. But what is: researchers are using biometrics to measure how and why in-game ads are grabbing eyeballs, quite literally.” Advertisers are trying to figure out if gamers are paying attention at all? Some are concerned that gamers are too “busy shooting basketballs and enemies to notice real world brands” (Fusion).   

Madden NFL Nike In-Game Advertisement

Likewise, the advertisement (above) is done through flash digital and appeared in the Madden NFL 12 video game on August 30, 2011. Madden was published by EA Sports. Nike’s swoosh logo is seen at the top of the screen by the text “leave nothing.” Nike is promoting that people who wear Nike apparel and equipment will give their best effort till the end of the game. Nike’s message is to persevere and to hold nothing back so that one can reach the highest performance level possible. 

TV Advertisement

Nike TV Ad with Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy (L to R)

This is a screenshot of one of Nike's TV commercials from January 2013 called “No Cup is Safe.” The commercial was viewed on TV, especially on channels like ESPN, ESPN2 and FoxSports. The commercial story line has Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods on a range, hitting golf shots and poking fun at one another. They challenged each other to hit a more impressive shot than the last. The golfers go back and forth with swinging golf balls into people’s cups in different settings and interrupting their busy lives. McIlroy, who signed with Nike the week the commercial was filmed, takes on the longtime Nike pitchman at the golf range. Like the title makes clear, “no cup is safe,” referencing the two men trading jabs towards one another. At the end of the commercial, Tiger gets the best of Rory and says, “You’ll learn.” The purpose of the ad is to show people that people who wear Nike while they golf will have more fun and perform better. Also if you wear Nike, you might become one of the most famous golfers, just like Woods and McIlroy. This delivery method was playful and comical, which will attract people to not only remember the ad, but go buy Nike golf products when they need new golfing attire. 

Radio Advertisement

This Nike radio advertisement was done in April 2010 to promote a Nike Run event. Radio is a way to personally connect with individuals in the most cost effective way, so Nike used this form of advertisement to promote this run. Below is the script of the Nike Radio Advertisement.

                                             

“This is the Next Message. This is the Nike Run off …60 minutes of non-stop music to train for the Nike human race on 20^th of October. The running sole starts tonight. Seven songs back to back are played for a smooth Nike Run.”

Nike is motivating people to get out and start running. They use the incentive of upbeat music to make running easier for those who participate. 

Outdoor Board for an Abilene Company

Outdoor Advertisement for McKay's Bakery

McKay's Bakery has been a bakery in Abilene since 1966 when Bobby Green and his wife, Dianne (both photoed in the outdoor advertisement) started the family owned bakery. Bobby was the master cook behind all the recipes and Dianne added the creativity touch to their products. This outdoor advertisement was seen in downtown Abilene off of 7^th street and Cedar and has been there for many years. The advertisement was placed outside on a billboard and was a large print version done through flash digital. The goals behind the ad were to raise customer awareness and promote their business. The message of the advertisement was to show customers where the location for the bakery is and that their products are very tasteful. This method of advertising was used because Abilene is a small town and so word of mouth and few advertisements proved to be effective for this bakery. 

Advertisement with a Sales Promotion

This Nike advertisement came from the Nike website in 2013. Flash digital media created the ad. The ad promotes to their customers that if they buy the “Nike Air Max Shoes,” then they will receive free shipping. Nike is trying to persuade their customers to buy their product with the incentive that they do not need to pay the extra fee of having it shipped to their home. For online shoppers, free shipping is one of the most successful sales promotions. Nike believes that if this incentive works for customers, they will continue to check and see if the sales promotion applies to other Nike products, as well. 

Direct Mail- Print or Email Advertisment

Direct Email Advertisement

This Nike advertisement was created through flash digital media. The advertisement came from a Finish Line email in 2011. The advertisement is labeled as “taking every advantage in the Nike Zoom.” This Nike ad presents the message that by buying Nike shoes, the customer has the advantage: the advantage to be faster, smoother, and possibly socially. The ad calls the consumer to take action to the call of the advertisement and actually commit to buying the shoes so that they can feel ahead of the game. The ad was designed to sell shoes and find new consumers. Even if the consumer did not prefer the specific shoe on the advertisement, the ad proved to be effective by making the consumer believe that by buying Nike…they would automatically have the advantage. 

Controversial Advertisement

Oscar Pistorius- The Paralympic Gold Medalist

Oscar Pistorius was a Paralympics athlete, known as the “Blade Runner” in the 2012 London Olympics. The ad is believed to date back to 2011, but was re-emerged on the morning that the Paralympic gold medalist, had been charged with murder. The advertisement appeared on Oscar Pistorius’ website. The advertisement is controversial because on February 14^th, 2013, the Olympic athlete was charged, with the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The Washington Post created the headline of “ I am the bullet in the chamber’: Nike Gun-themed ad  yanked from Olympic Athlete’s website following murder charges.” Steenkamp was shot four times in her home in South Africa. The ad’s tag line “bullet in the chamber” reference is in regard to how quickly Pistorius left the starting block, at the beginning of his races. The controversy comes into play with the metaphor of bullet in the chamber referencing to him shooting his girlfriend. After the news, Nike pulled the ad from Pistorius’ website and no longer was associated with Nike advertising. 

Advertisement Targeting Men

This Nike ad was done through flash digital in 2005. The ad suggests that a small boy is peeing on a wall, while a small dog watches. The theme of Nike is to “Just Do It.” The ad calls men and boys to set aside rules and responsibilities for a second and just do it, whatever it might be. Most people would think twice about peeing in a public place, especially doing so right on a wall.

However, the Nike slogan tells the boy to simply, ‘JUST DO IT’. I think this is an effective ad because the outlandish picture of the boy peeing on a wall would get the viewer’s attention. After the attention is gained, they notice the slogan just do it, and the comical experience with the ad will stick with them. Besides all men want the freedom to be able to pee anywhere they wish. This ad gives them the motivation to do what they desire, regardless of the circumstances. Ironically, Nike being a shoe company, posts an advertisement with a boy who does not even have a pair of shoes on. However, the message Nike is portraying still comes across to the customer, even though shoes are no where to be found. Companies that can advertise without the actual product and just their name or logo have truly reached the top. 

Advertisement Targeting Women

This Nike advertisement targets women. This advertisement is apart of a series of ads created to encourage women to be strong and powerful and to accept their body image as being different than the way society portrays women to be; skin and bones. There was a previous campaign about Nike targeting women with big butts in 2005.

2005 Nike Advertisement

Nike continued the advertisement and created a new recent series of ads. The series of Nike ads targeting women were seen both on TV and in print. The text in the ad says, “my butt is big and that’s just fine and those who might scorn it, are invited to kiss it.” Nike is promoting that a strong body has tons of benefits and holds opportunity for a healthy lifestyle. Women do not need to workout just to get really skinny, but instead to accept the muscle they have and embrace the beauty of it. Nike claimed that they were not selling anything…only the truth. The result of these advertisements gives women a voice to generations that celebrate and honor toughness and the ability to speak truth to women in a powerful way.

2010 Nike Advertisement

It is interesting to compare the two advertisements from five year time span. The ad from 2005 just captures the butt itself. However, the 2010 advertisement encompasses the whole body with the butt as a focus. The 2010 ad has more value because it praises the woman's body, not just her backside.  

Targets an Ethnic Minority Group

Nike Targeting Chinese youth culture

This Nike advertisement targets the Chinese youth, with Kungfu hip-hop culture. It was published in May 2007, as a flash digital print advertisement. The ad is apart of an older campaign that gives insight into Chinese youth culture. It focuses on a 3-on-3-basketball tournament that is centered on the 9 gates of “Old” Beijing. 

Nike draws a connection to the Chinese by capturing the spirit of their culture. Nike is recreating the feeling of ancient turf wars through this ad. The practice of turf warfare goes back to 15^th century B.C. tussle between a pharaoh, who wanted to commit to sun worship, and a high priest, who claimed Egyptian pantheon of gods was the only way. In the Chinese culture, turf wars, ultimately, go back to protecting one’s homeland from others wanting to invade. 

Thus, protecting the Great Wall of China. Nike tried to connect with the youth to motivate them to buy their products.

Nike’s global presence is so prominent that they must reach out to all ethnic groups and make them believe that this great company represents them, as well. When people feel accepted, they are more likely to buy from the company and be a lifelong customer. 

famous ad created BEFORE 1980

NIKE Advertisement before 1980

This advertisement’s category is that it was famous before 1980. The print ad is apart of Nike’s vintage selection of advertisements. It was created by flash digital medium. Nike’s goal, in releasing this advertisement, was to persuade the consumer that, Nike shoes could be used for many things. The line on the ad is that it is the “world’s great variety shoe.” They want consumers to understand that whatever their daily tasks consist of, Nike is the direction to take. They want their shoes to be used in all variety of settings. The smaller part of the text states that Nike has shoes for all sports and any shoe one chooses will “help you play your game the best you can.” Nike is applying to all audiences and ways of life. 

Since this advertisement was before 1980, women did not work out as much as they do today. Nike wanted to appeal to consumers that may have never bought their product because it did not suit their lifestyle. They changed this by stating their shoes will fit any lifestyle and do it in the best way possible.The ad appeared in a store called the Athlete’s Foot in 1979. The Athlete’s Foot is the world’s first franchisor of athletic footwear stores. Today, it is known as the world leader in athletic footwear franchising.