Mix a tear jerking creative with a crowd pleasing political sentiment and you’re onto a winner! But the recent Nike “Dream Crazier” ad, which aired during the Oscars this weekend just feels too forced for me to get on board with.
The ad is a follow up to the brand’s equally politically charged “Dream Crazy” commercial which featured Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers who knelt during the opening games national anthem in protects of police brutality. This new ad features Serena Williams as the voiceover, who, following recent outbursts on court, was branded a “crazy woman “by the press. She is shown alongside a number of other trail blazing women who have broken down barriers but were also deemed as “dramatic”, “delusional” or “hysterical” and Serena encourages female athletes to show the power of what “crazy women” can do.
Building brands in the digital age means that they have to offer more to the customer than to just shout about who they are and what they produce. Brands nowadays have to look at how they can engage with their consumers through the alignment of similar values and visions. Through this alignment they can gain additional airplay and space because it gives them additional platforms in which to appear and spread their message – and, let’s face it, ultimately position themselves favourably with an audience that they want to win.
To me it feels like the Nike ad is jumping on a current popular political theme of gender equality and sexual discrimination that campaigns like #metoo have been able to highlight.
But branding isn’t a popularity contest. It has to come from the heart and represent the brand’s true personality in an authentic way. Clearly there is a need to get people talking about these issues, and with Nike backing the cause that can’t be a bad thing, I just question Nike’s motivation to join this cause. Nike built their empire with the tagline “Just do it” which inspires people to get out there and “have a go”. So the recent ads fit with these values, however I still question Nike’s real reasons for joining this crusade.
A brand’s voice and values shouldn’t just be a point of differentiation but also engender trust, and I think that’s where Nike falls short. I’m not sure that I trust Nike to deliver their pitch and help women’s rights, gender equality or the civil rights movement when they still continue to employ people in less than ideal working conditions, paying less than living wage. (A recent investigation in Cambodia found that female workers were subjected to extreme heat, wage theft and verbal abuse). But it’s not just the brand’s apparent double standards that jar with me. The ad just feels disingenuous – an attempt to jump on a movement that it is gaining momentum with a vital part of their target audience – millennial women.
I guess socially divisive advertising is a clever way at gaining airspace and brand awareness. The ad is motivational, inspiring and memorable – so it ticks all the right marketing boxes. The stats show that Nike are the Masters of Social Media where, in less than a week, they have over 6m views on YouTube and 28m mentions on Twitter with an overall positive perception. Nike’s approach is likely to drive continued discussion on multiple levels, which I guess is what they were after. I’m still just not sure that I believe them. What do you think?
Introduction In the B2B marketing world where success is dependent on building long-term relationships, companies face the decision of choosing between two powerhouse strategies: Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and lead generation. The decision on which strategy to deploy is profound, influencing not only how businesses engage their audience but also the manner in which they need…
Blog or newsletter? This is a question we get asked a lot, and we’re always glad people ask it because it’s a good one. However, to get started on an answer, we actually need to ask you a couple of other key questions first… Are you trying to further engage existing contacts? Or are you seeking…
Marketing is simple! – Know your customer, understand your market and how your product / service fits within it and then apply the basics – Deliver the right message to the right person at the right time in the right place – sounds easy right? But to be able to do this you need to have…
Outsourcing eases budget, saves time… and adds value You’ve agreed your objectives. The business has set its goals. Now you’re juggling time, budget, staff, and politics, and it’s quite a challenging mix to get your head around. Every marketing manager knows the score; but it’s the canny marketing manager who knows when to delegate and…
When I started the Marketing Minds series, I reached out to people that I knew who inspire me, hoping that through their words and wisdom I could engage with a wider audience. So, you can imagine my delight when Mike Berland got in in touch and wanted to be part of the lockdown series. CEO and Founder of Decode-M, Mike…
Kicking off the Series with Joe Glover. Inspirational in his refreshing approach to business, which pulls strongly on his personal values of creating a positive difference and helping people. Joe is the founder of the Marketing Meet Up. With free beer and pizza, and a discussion or two from great speakers involved in many aspects…
The way consumers buy things has changed – and yet the marketing department has not! We’ve all noticed it. We are all part of it. The way in which we, The Consumer, shop has drastically altered. No longer a linear path to purchase, we meander across channel, medium and time. And the brands that are…
The traditional marketing funnel, which envisions a linear progression from awareness to purchase, no longer captures the complexity of today’s B2B buyer journey. Modern B2B buyers navigate a dynamic and non-linear path, especially during the Consideration phase, which encompasses multiple sub-stages requiring tailored marketing strategies. The Evolving Nature of the B2B Buyer Journey Several key…
There’s no doubt that the last year’s events and pandemic have taken a huge toll on all of us, mentally, financially, and economically, however there are plenty of lessons from lockdown learnt that will allow us to improve ways of working, our lifestyles and our personal wellbeing going forward. While Covid-19 is still very much…
Increased consumer expectations, global connectivity, digitisation, and data are transforming how businesses compete and operate. Meeting these evolving needs is becoming increasingly challenging for any single business to achieve alone. However, the evolving landscape of technology and connectivity enables businesses to collaborate and tackle complex operational and market challenges together. Strategic collaboration, promoted through partner…
