Nike ropes in Neymar and Iniesta for knitted football boot reveal
Nike has drafted in FC Barcelona stars Neymar and Andres Iniesta and Chelsea’s David Luiz to spearhead a social media campaign to launch its first knitted boot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYWMGSGWr_0
The Magista boot launches today (6 March) with a coordinated push across Facebook, Twitter, Vine and YouTube promoting videos of it in action. Ads see the likes of Neymar and Iniesta testing the futuristic footwear out on training pitches commenting on how it feels like a “second skin”.
The boot is developed using Nike’s FlyKnit technology to give it a sock-like fit that molds around the foot.
The campaign is the first time fans have been able to see the boot following a string of blurred out images from Nike as it promised football “will never be the same” after the reveal.
The social media-first approach is similar to the one Nike ran last year ahead of the Confederations Cup that saw it enlist Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski to drive fan interest.
The Magista is Nike’s flagship boot for the World Cup where it will go toe-to-toe with Adidas’ own knitted alternative. Adidas’ unveiled its Primeknit FS boot last week (27 February) with a campaign starring Liverpool FC striker Luis Suarez. Both boots will launch in time for the Champions League final in May with Nike and Adidas hoping to carry over any buzz into the summer tournament.
The footwear market is a key category in both brands’ attempts to increase market share across Europe. Nike saw sales in Western Europe climb 11 per cent in the first half of fiscal 2014 compared to a 1.9 per cent rise from its German counterpart’s latest quarter.
The launches are part of wider World Cup campaigns both brands claim will set a precedent for future efforts around major sporting events.