TCU Athletics Kicks off the 2011 Season with an Inspirational Video

TCU Athletics recently unveiled one of the finest season preview videos seen in the collegiate marketplace to date. While most athletic programs create montages filled with highlights, game action, and profiles of players and coaches, TCU Athletics teamed up with Red Productions to take a much different approach.

The 2011 TCU Football video effectively portrays how the Horned Frogs fanbase are part of something that's much bigger than just a football season. The video demonstrates how TCU Football is about a spirited community of all ages that stands united through all situations.

What's great about the video is that it creates a true sense of community, showing the fanbase (wearing licensed Nike gear) consuming TCU football at home, at retail, and live in the stadium. TCU Athletics also did a great job embedding a link in the YouTube video description to drive consumers to purchase tickets.

Check it out below!

Click Here to Purchase Today: http://bit.ly/25k_tkts Video by Red Productions http://redproductions.com Music: "Red Dress" (The Glitch Mob Remix) Purchase on iTunes http://bit.ly/n2hIRC

Nike "Throws Down" a New Spot to Promote Its Nike Free Shoes

Nike recently released a pretty catchy "Throwdown" advert that demonstrates what happens when athletes from a variety of sports challenge the skills and technique of one another. The spot serves as a great lifestyle play that is designed to promote Nike's "Free" shoes.

It is always interesting to see brands like Nike and Gatorade capture and profile athletes competing in a variety of sports in their campaigns. While it is easier for these brands to do so because they offer products that are so endemic to sport, it would be interesting to see non-traditional sponsors take a similar approach with their campaigns, highlighting a variety of their sponsorships in their campaigns.  

Check out the new Nike "Throwdown" spot below and be sure to follow the campaign on Twitter by using the hashtag #NikeFree:

Nike also created a Throwdown spot that specifically targets female athletes:

Nike Builds Suspense With Its Latest Ronaldo Soccer Viral

Sports organizations looking for new ways to utilize their YouTube channel to drive buzz around a product/season ticket launch should take a close look at Nike's latest viral campaign entitled "Only the Fastest".

Nike launched the campaign yesterday (10/26) with a 35-second viral designed to drive buzz for the launch of Cristiano Ronaldo's new soccer boots. The clip takes viewers along for a ride as Ronaldo's boots leave Nike Global HQ in Portland and are shipped out to their final destination for the product launch on October 28th. The viral, which has generated 130K views in less than 48 hours, leaves viewers with a level of suspense, as no one can really expect what is coming next.

Nike does a tremendous job using simple tactics (the copy block underneath the video) to drive people to its "Only the Fastest..." Facebook page. Thus far, 10,000+ consumers have opted to "attend" the special event (which is rather vague) while another 3,400 are possibly attending (translation - 1 in 13 consumers who viewed the viral opted in for the Facebook event).

Check out the viral and the Facebook page below:

VIRAL

YOUTUBE CHANNEL (WITH CALL-TO-ACTION IN COPY BLOCK)

FACEBOOK PAGE

Nike Demonstrates the Life Cycle of Its Brand with Soccer Viral

Nike does a terrific job demonstrating the life cycle of its brand in a recent piece created for the Czech football club AC Sparta Praha. In the spot, Nike demonstrates how an athlete matures with the brand throughout the various stages in his/her life. From birth to adolescence to playing professionally, there is one constant in sports - wearing the same brand of apparel because you believe in it.

The low-budget spot is extremely well done and serves as a great benchmark for any brand looking to showcase how consumers use their brand throughout the various stages of their lives.

Nike 6.0 Lets Snowboarders Live/Play at Marco's Mansion

Brands looking for new ways to capture the action/extreme sports crowd should take a close look at a recent viral from Nike entitled, "Marco's Mansion". To capture the attention of snowboard enthusiasts who wish they could live on top of the mountain, Nike 6.0 created a man-made igloo (called Marco's Mansion) that a team of notable snowboarders could throw down on all day and sleep in at night.

The concept of the piece is extremely creative and is a great way to drive some incremental interest in the sport and several notable personalities (Marco Smolla and his gang).

Check it out below:

Nike Takes You Inside Their 2010 OOH World Cup Execution

With the 2010 World Cup in South Africa just a few days away, Nike recently released a really cool viral piece that demonstrates how they wrapped the side of the Southern Life building in Johannesburg with an inspiring campaign.

Check out the viral piece below... It does a terrific job providing an inside look at their behind-the-scenes execution!

Kevin Durant Takes You Along On His Journey to China

Kevin Durant truly understands what it takes to become a global icon. The superstar forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder recently toured China with the support of Nike basketball and chronicled his experiences along the way with a series of shorts that he recently featured on his Official YouTube Channel - OfficialKevinDurant. Durant also posted a collection of photos from his journey on Facebook here.

The short YouTube viral pieces help Durant demonstrate that he's more than just a superstar athlete that is touring the world for all of the fame and glory. The vignettes show Durant interacting with Chinese consumers 1-to-1 and via social media, playing pickup games of hoops with aspiring players, expressing his thoughts on the country of China as a whole, and visiting their traditional locales.

Durant's terrific viral  pieces will hopefully serve as a benchmark for sports marketers looking for new ways to take their organizations and brands global through true, personal interaction.

Check out the clips below:

Nike Shows What it Takes to Bleed as One...

Are you looking to create a viral campaign that emphasizes team unity and focus? Are you looking for new ways to engage fans on one united front?

Nike recently released a powerful viral piece that demonstrates the things the Dutch National Team will need to effectively do during the 2010 World Cup to realize their full potential. The piece, entitled "Bleed as One" is very interesting because it uses some unusual imagery to demonstrate how the team will need to compete as a united front with with resolve and focus, not just their brilliant style of play.

Check out the piece below:

Nike Does it Again with the Human Chain

Are you looking for unique ways to align multiple sports sponsorships? Are you looking for ways to highlight the perseverance required of elite athletes?

Nike has created yet another captivating viral campaign - this one entitled the Human Chain. The clip demonstrates Nike's impact across multiple sports disciplines and really helps showcase the brand's depth on a global scale across a wide variety of athletic events.

The spot, created by Wieden + Kennedy, provides a glimpse of a wide range of Nike ambassadors. For more information, check out this tremendous writeup by The Inspiration Room. 

Check out Nike's newest viral piece below!

Nike Creates Viral to Go Red and Save Lives

What happens when you create an epic campaign that combines the world's best footballers with Kobe Bryant and Maria Sharapova? It's Nike's hope that it will help save lives.

Nike recently launched a really cool viral piece in support of its Nike Soccer Red Campaign to fight HIV/Aids in Africa. Check it out below and be sure to stop by their official Red microsite to learn more about some of the cool initiatives taking place (Nikesoccer.com/red):

Nike is On Target with its Latest Soccer Viral

Nike recently teamed up with Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres to create a cool new viral piece. The clip, entitled "Master Accuracy" demonstrates the skills that players can develop while wearing the new Nike Total 90 III soccer cleats.

The advert features Torres challenging Rooney to shoot balls through laser-based targets. Check it out below:

U.S. Soccer Tests the Skills of an NFL Kicker

Are you looking for new ways to promote the athleticsm of your organization's athletes? Are you looking to cross-promote with another sports organization in your local marketplace?

In July 2009, Philadelphia Eagles kicker David Akers made an appearance at the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team's practice as they prepared for a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals match at Lincoln Financial Field. Akers' appearance made for some quality footage for U.S. Soccer to feature in the viral space.

Members of the U.S. Soccer team battled it out with Akers in a variety of kicking contests, using both footballs and soccer balls. The video below demonstrates how skillful soccer players and NFL kickers actually are, and serves as a great benchmark for:

• Soccer organizations looking to align with other sports organizations in the local marketplace to promote their sport
• College athletic departments looking to showcase a collection of their student-athletes
• Professional organizations looking to showcase the skills of specialty players (kickers, punters, etc.)
• Brands looking to promote multiple athlete endorsers

Check it out below:

Nike Goes Outdoor to Promote New Harajuku Store

Are you looking for new ways to celebrate a store/stadium grand opening? Are you looking for ways to drive awareness in the local community?

To celebrate the grand opening of its new store in Harajuku, Japan, Nike created a really fascinating mural display using a collection of pictures. Each night, a team of workers changed the images to drive awareness for the breadth of Nike's offerings and involvement in sports and entertainment. CoolHunting also recently did a feature on the store's unique shoe chandelier, shoe sole tiles, and spinning race numbers that hang from the ceiling (definitely worth checking out the link) 

Check out the way Nike executed the out-of-home campaign to support the store grand opening:

Nike Connects with Consumers Through Passion...

Are you looking to connect with consumers by focusing on the passion that fans and athletes have for the game? Are you looking for new viral ideas?

Over the past week, Nike has released two (2) tremendous ad campaigns that do a tremendous job promoting the passion that both fans and athletes share for their favorite sports. It is amazing to see Nike continuously create ads that blow consumers away (and subtly ingrain their brand along the way).

Nike - "Force Fate"

In support of its Nike training hockey apparel (particularly Team Canada hockey apparel), Nike created a captivating piece that features Canadien hockey players and supporters making their claim that their success is earned, not bred. The piece has the feel of Gatorade's recent "G" campaign and does an excellent job playing off the passion Canadiens have for the game of hockey. Not to mention, plenty of terrific subtle branding plays... Check it out below:

Nike - "Fast is Never Enough"

Nike recently released "Fast is Never Enough" a captivating soccer piece that profiles the 20-year old English sensation Theo Walcott. The viral, in support of Nike's football partnership with Arsenal FC and its global football apparel, is a heart-thumping advert designed to get soccer fans around the globe excited for another year of the English Premier League. The piece does an excellent job mixing game highlights and slow motion tricks with the sound of an adrenaline-filled pep talk. Check it out below:

Nike Turns Marketing Focus to the Legend of Leroy Smith...

Are you looking to create motivating promotional campaign that inspires consumers across the globe? Are you looking for a unique way to capitalize on professional sports in a unique way?

Nike hasdone it again. Each year, the sports marketing masterminds at Nike create an inspiring campaign that turns the heads of sports fans across the globe. This year's viral marketing campaign - Get Your Basketball On - centers around LeRoy Smith, a figurehead who is said to be the man behind Michael Jordan's motivation to become the greatest of all time. While in the 10th grade, Smith beat out MJ for the last spot on the Varsity basketball team- amoment that Jordan will never forget.

Nike called in Charlie Murphy (an actor who gained noteriety from his role on The Chappelle Show) to play the part of LeRoy Smith in a series of mock videos and skits, which include training videos, news segments, and video game previews.

Nike features a collection of interactive features on the promotional site, including a petition for fans to vote Smith into the Hall of Fame, desktop accessories, iPhone applications (and other fake LeRoy Smith gear), and a DVD series (a collection of YouTube segments). In essence, the LeRoy Smith platform serves as a natural fake brand extension for Nike to promote and capitalize on.

While the campaign doesn't scream Nike by any means, it will definitely spark plenty of discussion within the basketball community. A strong sports viral marketing platform with substance and legs, it will be interesting to see how far the LeRoy Smith story takes off.

Check out some of the clips below (and click through to view some of the other segments on YouTube)... It's a classic "do it yourself" platform and a job well done by Nike!

Billboard of the Week - Nike, Toronto 10K

Are you looking to create a messaging campaign that resonates with young adults? Are you looking to drive interest in running in a non-traditional manner?

There isn't a company out there that does a better job understanding its customers needs and interests better than Nike. The enclosed billboard serves as a perfect example of Nike creating a captivating thought-starting campaign that resonates well with consumers. 

Using a creative tagline emblazoned in bold colors, Nike provided just enough information in the billboard campaign to peak one's interest in the '05 Toronto 10K running event.

Source (Photo): jonesov