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Throwback Nike China Commercial

Sunday, 29th June 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (1)


It's hard to name a global brand that has had smarter China marketing practices than Nike. The series of advertising shorts above, first posted on YouTube two years ago, features everyday Chinese who can't help but turn their day-to-day lives into athletic showcases. A flat round cracker in a university cafeteria becomes a discus; a pair of boys use a repairman's bucket as a basketball hoop; a young woman uses judo moves to take down her boyfriend and snatch a bouquet of flowers from him. The commercials have a raw look, like they could have been shot by amateurs. And they will ring true—and funny—to anyone who has spent time in China.

Nike has had its missteps here, including a commercial featuring Lebron James bouncing the ball off of a kung fu master's forehead that is often cited as an example of what not to do when advertising in China. But Nike learned from that mistake, and does plenty of other things right.

To watch and search hundreds of China sports videos—from Liu Xiang's gold medal run in Athens to interviews with diver Guo Jingjing—check out China Sports Today's new YouTube playlists.

Tags: Lebron James, marketing, Nike, YouTube

Comments

  • Brian gainor
    Saturday, 12th July 2008
    I wanted to send you an email to express how much I enjoyed this piece - it was very insightful and informative.

    As a follow up to the article, I thought you may be interested in seeing two (2) extensive galleries that I recently compiled that detail Nike and Adidas' activation, branding, and advertising in the Far East over the past decade:

    Nike Far East Activation Gallery (226 pictures)
    Adidas Far East Activation Gallery (96 Pictures)

    I have posted the two (2) galleries on www.PartnershipActivation.com, a website that provides sports professionals with industry best practices, creative branding tactics, and innovative ways to generate ROI. The site has a devoted readership base and has drawn significant industry buzz since its launch in February 2008.

    Thank you for your time and attention and please let me know if I can ever be of assistance.

    Regards,

    Brian

    Brian Gainor
    Partnership Activation, LLC
    3649 Warp St.
    Charlotte, NC 28205
    (P) 305.302.7861
    (E) bgainor@partnershipactivation.com

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