Every year, a marathon is held in New York City. This race (26.2 miles in overall distance) draws competitors from all over the world.
While Nike does not officially sponsor the race, this year, they made advertising history with their incredible, highly memorable ad campaign.
Those entering the city to compete were greeted by banner-style signage with phrases like “Running is awful. I love it!” and “You’ve come hundreds of miles to get here. Only 26.2 to go.”
The catchy phrases would be enough to create a memorable ad campaign, but then, Nike took it to the next level with closeup photos of people at the edge of exhaustion. Sometimes covered in mud. Sometimes with their eyes closed and their faces screwed up in the kind of agony that only comes from pushing yourself several steps beyond your limit.
These are intense, personal photos that evoke a powerful emotional response, even if you’re not into sports. They’re amazing and paired with the phrases we mentioned a moment ago, they made for a simply unforgettable ad campaign.
As we said at the start, Nike may not have formally sponsored the marathon, but they absolutely owned it with their ad campaign.
Every city or town, no matter its size, has events like the NYC marathon. Sure, sure, they may not get the press coverage or attract international attention, but a smart business owner can capitalize on those kinds of events anyway, leveraging their inherent local popularity and finding a way to tie the business’ brand to it.
That’s good marketing and a solid win for your firm, no matter what business you’re in.
If you’re struggling to work out how to work advertising magic like that, we can help. Our advertising professionals have decades of industry experience, and we’d love the opportunity to put it to work for you. Just give us a call at 770-391-8528 and let’s make advertising magic together.