AMBUSH MARKETING
According to the Wall Street Journal, ambush
marketing is a brand’s attempt to associate itself with
Nike
a team or event without buying the rights to do so, in
order to detract from a rival that paid to be an official
sponsor.
GUERILLA MARKETING
Guerilla Marketing is a promotional way of advertising
which is believed to be unconventional, unique,
unexpected and specifically targeted to increase in
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sales, viewership, connect the audience and build
reputation in the marketing world.
01 The Nike+ Vending
Machine Nike set up a vending machine called
FuelBox in a secret spot in New York City
where Nike FuelBand users could swap
their daily NikeFuel points for free Nike
products.
Only the NikeFuel points earned in the last
24 hours could be used -> ideal motivator
to stay moving throughout the day.
Didn’t hang around in a spot for long and
kept shifting to another mystery location.
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Made ripples all over New York City, both
in social media and in the press.
Nike Volts at 2012 02
Olympics
Nike used their shoe design at the 2012 Olympics to showcase
their product, without officially being an event sponsor.
The color of the shoes were scientifically selected because the
human eye is most sensitive to the yellow-green mix, and our
vision has a low sensitivity to red, the color of the London track.
Some 41 athletes medaled while wearing the Volts
Since 2012, many event sponsors and hosts have have
consolidated efforts to avoid ambush marketing - Rio Olympics
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did not permit any brand that was not specifically sponsoring
the event from using the phrase “Rio”, “Olympics”, or even “gold”
from their promotional materials.
03 Nike's LeBron Sneakers
Nike kicked up a media storm in 2012 when The Wall Street Journal
reported that its new LeBron X+ shoe would be the company's
priciest sneakers yet, at an astonishing $315 a pair. The story
spread rapidly on news websites and cable television.
Origin of the story is unclear. The Wall Street Journal story
mentioned no source for the $315 figure, and if members of Nike’s
marketing team were involved in development of the story, they left
no fingerprints.
In the initial hours after the story was published and made its
rounds, Nike officials steadfastly refused to comment on the story,
saying they would not confirm the sneaker price, but not denying it
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either.
Late in the day, the price was revealed by Nike to be $180.
Nike 'Find Your Greatness' 04
Campaign
Nike positioned itself as the supporter of non-elite athletes in their
'Find Your Greatness' campaign which challenged its main rival,
Adidas’ role as official sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics.
The film shows everyday athletes from around the world training,
playing and competing, with the common thread that the locations
featured are all called London. The idea was simply to inspire and
energize everyday athletes everywhere to celebrate their
achievements, participate and enjoy the thrill of achieving in sport
at their own level.
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London Games organizers mulled legal action against Nike but
ditched the plan it would have played into Nike’s hands.
05 Nike SB 'Black and Tan'
Sneakers
Around St. Patrick's Day in 2012, the company unveiled
its new shoe "the SB Dunk Low".
Popularly nicknamed as SB "Black and Tan" sneakers
by consumers who noticed the shoes' resemblance to a
favorite Irish beer drink in which stout and ale are
combined to form black and brown layers.
Nike apologised for the misstep after learning that the
term "Black and Tan" is offensive to some Irish people
because it was the name of a ruthless British
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paramilitary unit dispatched 90 years ago to crush Irish
revolutionaries.
Nike's Gold Digging 06
Women's T-shirt
Nike sold women's t-shirts at the 2012 Olympic Games
that carried the glittering words "GOLD DIGGING" to
celebrate the achievements of American women who
snared 29 of Team USA's 46 gold medals in London.
When some women called the shirts sexist, Nike
responded: "Nike has consistently supported female
athletes and the position they enjoy as positive role
models.The T-shirt uses a phrase in an ironic way that is
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relevant given it was released just as the world focused
on the success of female athletes".
