Nothing Beats a Londoner
By Mindshare, UK
For Nike
Winner in category Media
Project Description
Nike is one of the top-selling sportswear brands among young Londoners. But long-term health of brand relies on retaining the loyalty of its predominantly young customer demographic. Research revealed that, on their own, high-profile marketing campaigns built around athletes were not enough to secure this. "Nike will always be big,” said a kid who attended a focus group, “but we can't see, touch or feel the brand anymore”.
Our job was to reconnect Nike with 16-24-year-old Londoners. To do that, we needed to dispense with all the clichés and stereotypes about ‘Generation Z’. It was clear to us that this dynamic, diverse and sophisticated demographic was too often misunderstood. Too many middle-age marketers were still struggling to understand millennials, the generation before the one we needed to target. To reconnect Nike with its fans, we needed to really get under the skin of Gen-Z Londoners.
Our job was to reconnect Nike with 16-24-year-old Londoners. To do that, we needed to dispense with all the clichés and stereotypes about ‘Generation Z’. It was clear to us that this dynamic, diverse and sophisticated demographic was too often misunderstood. Too many middle-age marketers were still struggling to understand millennials, the generation before the one we needed to target. To reconnect Nike with its fans, we needed to really get under the skin of Gen-Z Londoners.
Agency Solution
We ran London-only media during half-term on TV, Snapchat, Instagram, Xbox, YouTube, native digital, mobile and in cinemas (the 180-second ‘silver spot’ — outside the main ad reel — before Black Panther, the highest-grossing film during the campaign).
At the campaign’s heart were short video stories about real young Londoners. These worked as a series but also in isolation. Using geolocation, we tailored the first story someone saw, and the platform it launched on, to the user’s specific location. This first instalment was designed to grab attention and encourage click-through. But users were left free to choose whether to view the next instalment.
With 29 million completed views, it’s clear that many did choose to ‘tap to advance’. We supported the narrative strand of the campaign with ‘social currency’ assets including never-before-seen sticker packs on Snapchat, Nike London Avatars in Xbox and endorsements from cultural influencers such as Skepta and Mo Farah.
At the campaign’s heart were short video stories about real young Londoners. These worked as a series but also in isolation. Using geolocation, we tailored the first story someone saw, and the platform it launched on, to the user’s specific location. This first instalment was designed to grab attention and encourage click-through. But users were left free to choose whether to view the next instalment.
With 29 million completed views, it’s clear that many did choose to ‘tap to advance’. We supported the narrative strand of the campaign with ‘social currency’ assets including never-before-seen sticker packs on Snapchat, Nike London Avatars in Xbox and endorsements from cultural influencers such as Skepta and Mo Farah.