GLOBAL – JULY 27, 2012: Master ambush marketer Nike has launched a global TV campaign just days before the lavish opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games, which takes place early tomorrow morning Philippine time.
The US sports brand had to get extremely creative for its TV spot as this year’s Games boast one of the strictest anti-ambush marketing guidelines.
The ‘Find Your Greatness’ campaign athletes participating in a range of sports from soccer to swimming and running but in places around the world called London. None of the shots, however, feature the actual games venue in England, allowing Nike to cut through the International Olympic Committee rules while providing a stirring tribute to the athletes competing in London.
Nike’s play is reminiscent of its cinematic tour de force ‘Write The Future’, the Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam creation launched just before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The three-minute spot featuring Nike’s instantly recognizable football sporting heroes from Wayne Rooney to Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho campaign stole much of the thunder from sponsor and Nike’s arch rival adidas.
The latter is again a paid sponsor of the upcoming London Games having shelled out millions for Olympic sponsorship rights.
