Dive Brief:
- Nike debuted the next leg of its gritty “Winning Isn’t for Everyone” campaign with ads targeting runners, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The launch is timed to marathon season.
- “Winning isn’t Comfortable” features four brand films that depict the unglamorous and arduous aspects of running, including grappling with harsh outdoor elements, but also the reward of pushing beyond one’s limits. Out-of-home (OOH) creative shares the theme around contending with hard truths.
- Wieden + Kennedy Portland is behind the effort that looks to extend Nike’s momentum coming out of the Summer Olympics. Running is a category where Nike has lost some of its foothold to upstarts such as Hoka.
Dive Insight:
Nike is building out its latest campaign, which centers on the ruthless drive it takes to win, with an overture to runners. The sportswear giant’s presence in running traces back to its roots, but it has missed out on the recent boom in running clubs, as reported in The Wall Street Journal, while up-and-comers like Hoka and legacy rivals like Brooks Running have won more market share.
“Winning isn’t Comfortable” takes a hard-edged look at how running can seem miserable, an angle that might resonate with enthusiasts who are entering the peak of training for marathon season. Nike’s Pegasus lineup of running sneakers is in the spotlight for the campaign.
The first video released, “Sunshine,” depicts people pelted by rain and wind and trudging through muck on their runs. A gentle version of the lullaby “You Are My Sunshine,” performed by Christina Perri, provides contrast. College basketball player JuJu Watkins appears in the video, which went live Thursday. A second spot, “Morning,” focuses on the dread of waking up to a run.
Two future brand films, “Joy” and “Stairs,” address the difficulty in hitting a progress wall and how it can be painful to walk down stairs following a race, respectively. Megaforce directed the creative. OOH ads, which Nike is also promoting on its social channels, carry over the edgy attitude. “If you don’t hate running a little, you don’t love running enough,” reads one.
Nike is also emphasizing its on-the-ground marketing by hosting events and retail experiences, along with its sponsorship of upcoming marathons in Shanghai, Chicago and Melbourne. The brand losing sight of its ground game was a focus on the Journal’s report. Running club sessions, running lounges and workshops factor into Nike’s retail strategy while the brand’s NRC App, which has an updated logo, is offering a “run beyond plan” to push users out of their comfort zone.
In-your-face messaging is a key piece of “Winning Isn’t for Everyone,” a platform Nike bowed around the Summer Olympics in Paris that is positioned as the company’s boldest brand expression in years. Initial ads feature a roster of iconic athlete ambassadors with voiceover narration by Willem Dafoe listing off the qualities — especially negative traits, like selfishness and obsession — that made them what they are.
Nike’s Olympics marketing was distinctive but underperformed in certain respects, such as driving brand equity and persuasion, according to a Kantar analysis.
A return to bolder brand building is part of Nike’s turnaround plan following a period of slumping sales and a massive overswing toward direct-to-consumer channels. Nike saw revenue dip 2% to $12.6 billion in its latest financial quarter while revenues from Nike Direct, its DTC arm, slid 8%.
