Nike pushes viewers to explore their own ‘Possibilities’

Published August 26, 2013 at 8:41 am

“Just do it.”

For 25 years, Nike has urged its customers to stop worrying, stop complaining and just play the game—whatever that game might be. And, for 25 years, Nike’s slogan has stuck in the minds of consumers everywhere.

So, what makes Nike’s latest ad, “Possibilities,” any different? The athletic apparel company has now implemented web-based marketing, using the power of the Twitter hashtag. The “Just do it” line is an official promotional hashtag, and the new commercial is a YouTube viral hit.

In fact, according to Mashable, the “Possibilities” video drew over 1.3 million views in just 24 hours. The ad features cameos from Serena Williams, international soccer star Gerard Piqué and even Lebron James in a fictional slam dunk contest. Viewers are urged to push themselves beyond their normal possibilities, and challenge the superstars in their respective arenas. With Hollywood’s own Bradley Cooper doing the voiceover, the ad is making strong efforts to reach a younger audience.

“Overall, it’s a good, anthemic lead spot for the campaign, with branding that drives the viewer back to the slogan without slapping him or her in the face with it for a minute and a half,” reported an AdWeek contribution piece. “And it successfully suggests you can move beyond what you thought were your physical limits, even if you have but a fraction of the talent of a Piqué, Williams or James.”

To create quality lead generation in marketing, Nike took something old and classic and gave it an edge to keep pace with changing times. The social media approach continues to work, as at the time of publication—two days after its debut—the YouTube views were over 2 million.

How many more views will the ad get? The “possibilities” seem endless.