Anyone seen this banner on campus and think it’s as cringe as I do? It’s a more solitary, aggressive, and offensive variation on the current broader campaign that evokes memories of the bully in high school.
It makes me question the authenticity of everything else I know to be about Nike’s ethos… empowerment, encouragement, support, winning together, helping those in need…
Have I just lost track of what we are as a company? Tell me I’m not alone here
What % of the addressable market tolerates this? FFS! This is the literal opposite of “until we all win” What brand is left here?
“Your dream is dead- Don’t do it” ™
I understand that a sport game can only have one winner but their message is still so cringe 😬 Because it uses the word their Dream! They could have said my dream is to win so they wouldn't.. something that shows we are only talking about winning in a sport but ending some one dreams feel so wrong 😕
Sociopathy-Let's celebrate it! F empathy!
It's no surprise, sadly
This slogan/message is “off” given the current geopolitical environment where the goal isn’t to just win, but to also destroy your opponent in the process. It reminds me of former Nike athlete Ndamuking Suh; a dirty athlete who wanted to win AND physically hurt others in the process.
It’s not “edgy”. It’s just “dark”.
@ond+1tGqP0k6 I sit at the table where these these brand narratives are discussed. Unfortunately you are 100% correct. And it doesn’t matter how much the working teams/experts plead their case based on consumer insights, ELT will shrug it off and do what they want anyway based on feeling.
The entire campaign doesn’t sit well with me. How is it relatable to the common consumer? How is it going to push product and ease our financial woes? How will it land if our athletes don’t win? Nike itself isn’t winning. Our brand teams are so out of touch with how to capitalize on sport moments and yield a commercial payoff it’s laughable.
When are you people going to realize Nike doesn’t care about people.
Nike exists to make money. However they manipulate people to think about their products and hopefully have people purchase the color way they are pushing is what Nike will do.
Given it’s the Olympic message, from the highest level of approval…it tracks as a statement the ELT would sign off on. Most of these leaders weren’t athletes to begin with so all they have to go on is their competitive mindset from the most recent and ruthless professional maneuvering that kept them at the top at the expense of the much needed experienced worker bees. Most elite athletes I have encountered compete against themselves more than being out to obliterate the dreams of another.
I’m not against mean or aggressive marketing necessarily but this simply has no depth. You could have bought the slogan from any high school athlete for $5.
Add in the current geopolitical environment… where most people are expecting a repeat of the 1972 Olympics, the drama around Russia’s players, Iran somehow ending up with half the refugee athlete slots.
There’s enough literal ending of dreams happening to make that banner ring sour.
The employee slogan for Nike should be
“Always Wining, Never Winning”
Kobe would fully support this campaign.
Yall are soft
Cringy and antagonistic, and awfully representative of the current culture at Nike. Goes well with the commercial stating no respect or empathy - when art imitates art a bit too well.
Thank you OP for sharing here. The saddest thing is that if anyone were to make a comment like that in a meeting at work, they’d be shunned, ppl would steer clear of them, they’d never be listened to again or given opportunities… it is so sad how people actually can’t be themselves. Sigh
Nike is a brand
@nmt+1tGqP0k6
This slogan really highlights the folks that peaked in high school being bench warmers, and then went on to get hired by Nike for "sports and product experience". Director now. So yeah Nike is a microcosm of this BS.
Wanting to win is different than putting someone else down.
Winning can be done graciously or sh*tilly, and I sense the banner (and you) prefer the latter.
Winning in sport means that the other person doesn’t. Ie their dream ends.
Have you ever played a competitive sport?
It’s ok to want to win.
This isn’t that deep.