Runners tolerated
My thoughts on the Nike debacle, and how the coolest kids in running are here on Substack
I know quick, instant, knee-jerk reactions and responses are what go viral and fuel the internet, but I like to stew on things and get things correct in my head before speaking. Luckily by being in my fourth city (LA, NYC, Boston, London) in seven days, I’ve had loads of time to think, and not much time to write.
So what’s been happening since last time?
A few other people started complaining about the Nike ad campaign that I complained about last Monday.
I spent the weekend at the Boston Marathon with the coolest (but also friendliest) people in the world.
I flew straight from Boston to London for my book launch in Dalston this evening with the author of the Harry Styles x Haruki Murakami article, plus two other events.
Like I said: not much time to write. I know you’re here because you like longer form messages, but it’s easy to update via Instagram so follow there if you wish. Like this photo, for instance:
RUNNERS TOLERATED
Overall, this particular ad just felt like a ham-fisted ‘how do you do, fellow kids’ attempt to get in with runners. It failed.
Every marketing planner/strategist on LinkedIn has given their tuppence on what Nike’s polemic campaign has taught them about B2B sales, but here are my quick rebuttals and points of view.
Nike’s share price is down 65% in the last five years. My hot take is that Nike is the challenger brand in running now.
They’re throwing money at the trail space a few years after everyone else did.
They’re rumored to be re-launching their pioneering running fashion category, Gyakusou… a few years after everyone else did.
They tried (and failed) to write a Tracksmith-style ad campaign because that’s a brand they’ve lost ground to over the past decade
“This is an elite message for an elite marathon.”
Yes, Boston is a race for the best of the best – and I love that – so why was the same message at parkrun last week? Many American commentators missed that bit.
“Wieden + Kennedy don’t do anything by mistake.”
They’ve been Nike’s ad agency for decades but suggesting that they did this on purpose is silly. Other parts of this same campaign have been truly brilliant (they’ve even used RUNNING SUCKS on one marathon billboard – no, I won’t sue), just not this particular bit. Do you think the Global Head Coach of Nike Running would’ve had to weigh in with especially inclusive messages on his socials if it truly was a considered, purposeful campaign? It’s ok to make mistakes.
“Not everything has to be for everyone.”
This message is not for everyone. This message is very specifically for runners, and I haven’t met a runner that likes it.
“They’re just causing friction.”
Sure, that’s Marketing 101, but there is already friction running through every part of running. For 99.9% of us, our only competition is with ourselves. We don’t need to punch down on anyone walking, especially because walking is a tried and tested training technique, even for people running sub-3hr marathons.
I wrote about the intimacy of running last year. That intimacy means that we care deeply about each other. Part of that is because we ourselves are barely tolerated — even by one another. We don’t punch down on another runner, because we all walk.
This Adidas campaign from almost 30 years ago was made by real runners for real runners, and it’s still perfect for today. Runners. Yeah, we’re different.
This is Running - my book!
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SUBSTACK IS WHERE THE COOLEST KIDS ARE
I spent Boston weekend at The REC Room with the best people. Curated and created by Cole Townsend, Lee Glandorf and Katherine Douglas, this indie pop-up brought together a dozen smaller brands on a miniscule budget.
You want authentic? The REC Room was all that and more. No artificial hype. No million-dollar ad campaigns. Just a few friends who met on the internet banding together to multiply the purest creativity. In a world of marathons filled with exhaustingly complex activations, this was the antidote that everyone’s been asking for.
For clarity, The REC Room was created by the kids who sat at the front of the class and asked the teacher questions. The whole exercise was a beautiful vindication that the geeks will inherit the running scene.
I’ve been trying to explain this to influencer marketing teams for the past 3 years but the REC Room was tangible living proof of Substack being the incubator for the brightest, most influential minds in the world of running. I love it.
Congratulations for being in the cool place.
Thanks for reading,
Raz x
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Well done. The bit that breaks down the slew of areas Nike fell behind landed strong with me. My take, maybe, runs parallel to this. I dunno. Let me know.