'Calculated risk' paid off for brand familiar with controversy
The “traditional” agency is dead; data is king; consolidation is the word of the day. You’d be forgiven for thinking ads themselves—and the people who make them—are growing less relevant by the minute.
And then there was Nike.
One tweet by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Sept. 4 featuring a close-up of his face, Nike’s trademark swoosh and tagline and the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” ignited a cultural firestorm and teed up the next day’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” broadcast spot. Three weeks later, CEO Mark Parker credited the bold campaign with boosting sales and customer engagement after analysts estimated it had added $6 billion to his company’s market value.
More importantly for those in advertising, Nike had reinforced the power of the Big Creative Idea.
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