Some interesting speculation from AdAge on why Nike has decided to expand its creative agency roster and begin moving some pieces of business away from W+K:
A crucial factor is Nike's intent to build on the stunning success of its interactive ventures...
...including the Nike ID website created by R/GA and the company's partnership with Apple for the Nike+iPod, which has virtually transformed running and demonstrated how a brand can market itself by offering something useful to a community rather than just communicating its assets. A Nike executive who asked to remain anonymous said that advertising - even the gorgeous creative that is Wieden's hallmark - is only part of the equation now for Nike, which is thinking a whole lot bigger these days. "When we start going to meetings with Apple Computer, or the guys that did the Nike ID site, it's not that they're pitching our advertising business, but they're directly or indirectly solving our advertising needs with their ideas," the executive said. "We sit in those meetings and it dawns on us that there are alternative solutions to our problems, and we're going to look at as many alternative partners and vendors as we can." In fact, for two years Nike has quietly been working with a boutique agency, Prototype Advertising in Lynchburg, Va., to do print and interactive work on Brand Jordan. Prototype has created a video podcast, done print ads, posted work on You Tube and MySpace, and created lockerfreaks.com, a joint project for Nike, Foot Locker and Sole Collector magazine. "Web and digital stuff - the big boys take a while to do that. That's one of our competencies," said Daryl Calfee, Prototype's senior art director. "Nike is very innovative, and it's always fun trying to figure out where the market is shifting to next." The exploration has led Nike to places like online communities, from small (runners looking to pair up with others to do marathons, for example) to large (the wildly successful joga.com, the soccer community where Nikefootball/jogaTV videos saw some 110 million downloads during the 2006 World Cup).
...including the Nike ID website created by R/GA and the company's partnership with Apple for the Nike+iPod, which has virtually transformed running and demonstrated how a brand can market itself by offering something useful to a community rather than just communicating its assets.
A Nike executive who asked to remain anonymous said that advertising - even the gorgeous creative that is Wieden's hallmark - is only part of the equation now for Nike, which is thinking a whole lot bigger these days.
"When we start going to meetings with Apple Computer, or the guys that did the Nike ID site, it's not that they're pitching our advertising business, but they're directly or indirectly solving our advertising needs with their ideas," the executive said. "We sit in those meetings and it dawns on us that there are alternative solutions to our problems, and we're going to look at as many alternative partners and vendors as we can."
In fact, for two years Nike has quietly been working with a boutique agency, Prototype Advertising in Lynchburg, Va., to do print and interactive work on Brand Jordan. Prototype has created a video podcast, done print ads, posted work on You Tube and MySpace, and created lockerfreaks.com, a joint project for Nike, Foot Locker and Sole Collector magazine.
"Web and digital stuff - the big boys take a while to do that. That's one of our competencies," said Daryl Calfee, Prototype's senior art director. "Nike is very innovative, and it's always fun trying to figure out where the market is shifting to next."
The exploration has led Nike to places like online communities, from small (runners looking to pair up with others to do marathons, for example) to large (the wildly successful joga.com, the soccer community where Nikefootball/jogaTV videos saw some 110 million downloads during the 2006 World Cup).
This is of course just one anonymous source and a keen journalist wanting a good story. Mr N. Christie, would you care to comment?
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Robin Grant
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