In February 2019, Nike launched its “Show Them What Crazy Can Do” campaign. It captured elite female athletes in moments of great emotion when playing their sports. The footage was raw and relatable to both female and male athletes around the world. There are a few reasons why the campaign was so successful.
It is authentic.
Athletes tend to be very passionate about their sport and it can create moments of extreme happiness or disappointment. In Nike’s campaign, all of the footage was clearly real and the authenticity of the emotion was there. Actors portraying athletes would have been a poor choice for this campaign. Using real footage of real athletes created moments that a lot of people could relate to.
It is what the desired audience wants to see.
Female athletes do not get nearly enough visibility or credit for what they do. In fact, they are often seen as “too intense” or “crazy” and that is often how they are portrayed in the media. Nike saw this and used it to show that their intensity is purely out of passion and love for their sport. Just like male athletes, female athletes want to excel at their craft and put everything they have into it. Nike uses this campaign to acknowledge and encourage women to continue being “crazy” when it comes to athletics because it can make them very successful.
It is a topic that sparks conversation.
Nike took the portrayal of women in athletics as “crazy” and turned it into something very positive. When female athletes are discussed in the media, the focus is often not on their skills or athletic ability, but rather on their emotions or fashion choices. Nike took a clear stance in this campaign which is that women in sports deserve equality for doing the same thing as men. If that is seen as crazy, they should keep on doing it and show people the results. This got people talking and is a part of what made Nike’s campaign so successful.
Nike used authenticity, knowledge of their audience’s beliefs and values, and a thought- provoking message to create a very successful campaign. As a company, being clear in your messaging and values is important. As a public relations firm, we are very knowledgeable about creating the right message for your customers. For more information on what Kovak-Likly can do for your organization, please call (203) 762-8833.
