Nike launches digital trainer tournament for retailers
Nike has rounded up a handful of trainer retailers to pit their best ranges against one another in a marketing stunt for this summer’s World Cup.
Niketown, Offspring and Size are among a cluster of eight notable retailers that are competing in the “Risk Your Sole” campaign. Each team will put their five best sneakers up for public vote online, with the losers having to hand over their most their prized footwear.
A five-a-side tournament between each team takes place tonight (28 May) at Nike’s “Phenomenal House” experiential hub in central London. The competition sees the brand attempt to marry its sports and lifestyle offering to broaden its reach ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
The marketing stunt is an extension of Nike’s “Risk Everything” World Cup ambush campaign. Nike is marketing the campaign with a series of stunts designed to spark word-of-mouth among sports fans.
The launch comes as rival and official World Cup sponsor Adidas kicks off its own bid to generate buzz by painting 32 entire buses black as part of its “All in or Nothing” World Cup sponsorship campaign. The branded buses will be are a fixture of the capital’s roads throughout the tournament. Adidas is the first to try the new advertising offering from Transport for London as part of its “Year of the Bus” Exterion-created campaign.
Adidas expects to generate a record €2bn (£1.6bn) of football sales this year, exceeding Nike’s estimated $2bn (£1.2bn) of football turnover.
