Nike E-Ambushing

Nike.

Where did the famous sportswear provider’s name originate from? Until a couple of days ago I along with half of Australia had no idea, until a broadcast of Sally Pearson’s medal ceremony at the Olympics on channel Nine. The camera zoomed in to have a good look at the shiny gold medal hanging from Sally’s neck and while discussing the design embossed on the medals the winning athletes were sporting they drew attention to the Greek Goddess featured on one side, who was it you ask? The Goddess Of Victory, Nike. While this was an interesting realisation for me I wondered how happy the people back at Adidas, the Official Olympic Sponsor, would be about the link of their major competitor to the most symbolic icon of the Olympic Games. 

Obviously Nike has a strong congruence with the Olympic Games just as their competitor Adidas does, but they saw no reason to fork out $60 million for a Sponsorship contract when there was a clear alternative, Ambush Marketing.

Cheaper, easy to articulate with the congruent nature of Sportswear and the Olympic Games, however Nike weren’t opting for the tacky option of bombarding viewers with commercial after commercial in the ad breaks of the Games broadcasting. No. They wanted to outwit their competitor, and do Ambush marketingwith class like a snide comment. 

So Nike launched a YouTube Ad highlighting the town, village or City of ‘London’ and the athletes who live there, however we’re not talking London, England. 

The clever ‘Find Your Greatness’ campaign highlights the average athlete, the one who isn’t a superstar or in a place with bright lights and people making speeches, but the athlete who can achieve Greatness in any place, in any country, anywhere around the world. With over 4 and a half million hits on YouTube, Nike has succeeded in a clever Ambush Marketing ploy to link themselves with The London 2012 Olympics. And the odd 1 or 2 athletes sporting Nikes doesn’t hurt either.