Nike worked out earlier this year that it could add to its $US28 billion of sales per year by focussing on women, young athletes and runners.
Women, Nike assessed, represent a potential extra $US2 billion in sales per year by 2017.
So, in April, Wieden + Kennedy launched the Nike women’s campaign, #BetterForIt, with a core ad (filled with girl appeal) called Inner Thoughts, that reveals what women are thinking while they exercise.
The launch ad was accompanied by three single theme cutdowns, one of which – Best Worst Seat – is the internal monologue of a girl sitting behind a bunch of models’ bums in a spin class.
According to Nike, the campaign is about “powering [women] to be better through services, product innovation and athlete inspiration, motivating each other to push to the next level.”
What it actually does is allow Nike to “befriend” women, by showing that it gets what makes them tick.
Now, Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam has explored the inner world of the Real Girls of Moscow.
its new ad unveils the voices of Russian athletes who were once ordinary Moscow girls:
Adelina Sotnikova, 2014 Olympic gold medalist in figure skating
Diana Vishneva, Mariinsky Ballet and American Ballet Theatre principal
Katya Izotova, former world champion in Thai boxing
Darya Klishina, long jumper
Olga Markes, founder of yoga website Sekta.
The athletes are featured in a series of giant outdoor murals across Moscow that are linked to animated GIFs using geo-location to enable people to find the relevant real life mural. They also feature in a series of online films shot by sport and fashion photographer, Carlos Serrao.
“We wanted to give this work a sense of legacy. So many ads today are about a one second moment, and we wanted more, we wanted pieces that would be remembered for a long time. So we broke the usual parameters of advertising and created a series of giant outdoor murals. The results are fantastic. The scale and beauty of the photography really gives these girls the heroic stature they deserved,“ explained David Smith, creative director W+K Amsterdam.
The online films were shared on the Nike Woman Russia Facebook and YouTube Channel, while the mural GIFs are being shared via Instagram, VK and on the global Nike Woman #BetterForIt tumblr.
Nike has also turned Instagram posts of real girls working out in the city into street posters around Moscow, and took over Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure in June for a 10 day sport experience, in which more than 25,000 girls participated in (and filmed) activities such as yoga and dance.
Creative credits:
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam
Executive creative directors: Mark Bernath & Eric Quennoy
Creative directors: David Smith, Alvaro Sotomayor & Craig Williams
Art director: Ignasi Tudela
Copywriter: Zoe Hawkins
Production Company: Terrie Tanaka Management
Director/Photographer: Carlos Serrao
Director of Photography: Monica May
Editing Company: Whitehouse Post
