Foot Locker and Nike go back to the '90s with 'Discover Your Air' campaign

Dive Brief:

Foot Locker introduced "Discover Your Air," a new creative platform that pays homage to the retailer for being one of the original destinations for Nike Air products in the 1990s, according to a press release. The effort launches with two collections: the Nike Air Origins pack, which debuted Aug. 23, and a Nike Air Frequency pack to be released on Sept. 15.
The campaign, created by Bullish, features a YouTube video starring NBA palyer Jayson Tatum, who "unearths" a time capsule full of ’90s-era items and a new pair of the Nike Air Origins. Digital content will run through mid-September on Foot Locker's Instagram and YouTube channels with appearances from hip-hop, style and culture influencers.
"Discover Your Air" will include a series of two-day events, including a skate party in Atlanta and a Foot Locker takeover in Houston providing visitors with shopping experiences, local food and giveaways.

Dive Insight:

Foot Locker continues to create experiential and social media-rich campaigns around its longstanding relationship with Nike. "Discover Your Air" taps into the '80s and '90s nostalgia trend being driven by millennials, who are fond the eras they grew up in. The re-release of the ’90s-era Nike Airs might especially resonate with older millennials who remember wearing such shoes as kids, along with sneaker heads who closely anticipate limited-edition drops from big-name brands.

The push mirrors other recent efforts from the retailer aimed at drumming up hype for new releases. Foot Locker, Nike and Nike's Jordan Brand celebrated the tenth anniversary of their basketball-focused retail concept House of Hoops in February with limited-edition products, an experiential activation and a new Instagram account. Foot Locker also recently ran "Before and After the Bite," a campaign that included a series of digital and real-world activations, partnerships with up-and-coming artists and the release of two new Nike Air Max Plus sneakers.

Experiential events, new product releases and partnerships with well-known NBA stars have helped Nike and Foot Locker build customer loyalty and drive sales. During Q1 2018, nine out of the top 10 best-selling sneakers were from Nike or its Jordan brand, according to NPD data cited by Business Insider.