Is Subway Biting Off More Than They Can Chew?

It was recently announced that Subway added Olympian speedskater, Apolo Anton Ohno, to their roster of clients which include fellow Olympians Michael Phelps and Nastia Liukin. 

With the addition of Ohno, Subway has managed to secure the top athletes from the Summer and Winter Olympics guaranteeing they have the biggest sports windows covered.  What appears to be a great strategic move by Subway, could be a greater indication of what's to come in the next year and a half-- a headache for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United States Olympic Committee (USOC).  Here's why.

The IOC prevents non-Olympic sponsors from running spots that feature competing Olympic athletes before and during the Olympic Games.  In layman's terms, if you don't pay for the rights to benefit from Olympic brand association, then you have not earned the right to run a Michael Phelps ad during the Summer Olympics, regardless of your partnership with him.  Although it's not the most ideal situation for an unofficial sponsor who has partnered with an Olympic athlete of Phelps' caliber, it's imperative that the IOC and USOC enforce this rule as an attempt to protect their official sponsors.

I say attempt because unofficial sponsors and brands like Subway continue to circumvent the system by resorting to the bold tactics of ambush marketing.  Although it's generally viewed as a negative practice, brands can't resist the positive buzz it generates among consumers; thus impacting their bottom-line.  For example, Nike is unashamedly guilty of repeatedly ambushing the Olympics and World Cup.  In fact, since they have such a reputation for doing so, the anticipation of their campaigns merely amplifies the energy surrounding their efforts.

And in Subway's case, they experimented with running a Michael Phelps ad during the 2010 Winter Olympics and were successful.  Winter Olympic athletes are exempt from the rule during the Summer Games, and vice versa.  If you recall, the spot showed Michael Phelps swimming through land, toward Vancouver aka "where the action was that winter."  This ad upset the IOC, USOC and McDonald's, the official restaurant sponsor, but was a major win for Subway.

PUSH PLAY:  Michael Phelps and Subway 2010 Winter Games


According to Sports Business Journal, it's unknown if Ohno's contract runs through 2012.  However, it's a safe bet that if it does, Ohno and Jared Foogle will be teaming up to represent the sandwich chain for the 2012 Games.

NIKE: Run Your City!!

With a little over a week until the ING NYC Marathon, I've had reoccurring thoughts about stepping up my running game and possibly training for a marathon myself.  This isn't the first time I've had these thoughts and I guarantee it won't be the last.  Each year, I'm inspired by all of the ads around NYC and my countless friends that run, but I guess I'm not inspired enough to actually advance beyond it just being a thought.  For some reason, running 26.1 miles seems like the unthinkable to me and is so far out of reach.

Admittedly, I'm guilty of piling on the self-doubt and question if I have the mental and physical fortitude to train for a marathon, let alone run a complete 26.1 miles. 

But thanks to Nike, I'm reassured that I'm not alone.   There are millions of people out there just like me.  We jog for exercise, but runners we are not!   Nike is speaking is my language!  And, if they're speaking your language too, lean in a little closer and check this out!

In true Nike fashion, they've come up with a fun, interactive way to speak to this segment and hopefully encourage them to look at themselves differently. Instead of plastering London with ads, Nike challenged their agency, Wieden + Kennedy, to create a game that would get London joggers to identify themselves as "runners".  And voila, you have GRID Run Your City! Back in April, London hosted the first GRID competition around the London Marathon.  Last week, the second GRID competition started.  Here's how it works:

 Nike has turned the city of London into a game board for a two-week competition called the GRID which the shoe manufacturer hopes will ultimately encourage young people who already jog for exercise to start identifying themselves as “runners.”

The company has broken the city down into its 48 zip codes. Each zip code (or “postal code” as they say in England) has four traditional phone boxes. Players compete by doing runs, which they start by going to one of the phone boxes, dialing a specific number, entering their unique identifier, and then following the instructions they're given, which send them to other phone boxes in the city.

Graeme Douglas of Wieden+Kennedy, which developed the game, wrote that when Nike approached them with the task of getting young people engaged in running, they didn’t have a specific idea about how to do that. “It was evident from the start that a message-based campaign wasn’t going to be enough,” Douglas wrote. “We needed to get people out and active; and introduce to them a new way to run.”

Douglas goes on to say, ”We decided the best strategic option to deliver this would be to augment the running experience; creating a layer of experience on top of the run that aimed to alter how the activity would be interacted with.” Hence the game. The current competition started last Friday and runs (no pun intended) for 15 days. Players, who can compete individually or in teams, get points, badges, and prizes for speed, routes, and “various unlockables,” Douglas writes, “that become apparent as the game unfolds.” As of this writing, the game had 2,834 players and 323 teams.

This idea is absolutely brilliant!!  I can't think of a better way to get people excited about running, than to create a challenge that actually requires them to run!  It certainly beats those Reebok "Run Easy" ads that us NYCers suffered through a few years back.  Nothing seemed easy about sprinting through the NYC streets, seeing your train arrive at the station, running up subway stairs as fast as you could, and barely catching your train.  That's stressful as hell!  But I digress.  What I also love about GRID are the additional elements of the scavenger hunt which gives this competition an Amazing Race feel, coupled with receiving badges and prizes for check-ins.  I'm not into Four Square because of the stalker vibe I get, but I'd still be all over this.  And although you're competing, I don't get the sense that you'd feel like a loser if you came in last.  Like the marathon, I'm sure you feel a sense of accomplishment regardless of what your finish time is.  The idea is to just get out there, run, and have fun!

If Nike decides to implement this idea in NYC, I'd gladly lace up my asics and hit the streets!  Who's with me?

Check out the GRID Facebook Page to see updates from runners! 

PUSH PLAY:  NIKE GRID ANALYSIS, GIRLS VS. BOYS

Related articles

• Nike Grid: forget ads, let's make a game! (wklondon.typepad.com)
• Nike Turns London Into a Game Board to Get People Running (fastcompany.com)
• Nike Grid V.2 (rubbishcorp.com)

The Takeover? Under Armour Launches New Basketball Shoe

Over the weekend, Under Armour launched a basketball shoe line called Micro G., which is promoted by Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks.  With the tag line, I Think You Hear Us Coming, Under Armour hopes to overtake Nike as the leading basketball shoe on the market.  Although no major ad buys are planned, Under Armour did produce a :15 promo w/ Brandon Jennings.  It'll be interesting to see what other plans Under Armour has to make a splash.  I hope they don't expect Brandon Jennings to do all of the heavy lifting by himself.  If so, no one's going to "hear them coming" with this soft, quiet launch.

Since this is Under Armour's second attempt at entering the footwear market, I expected a bit more.  Remember in 2008, they ran an ad during the Super Bowl announcing a new shoe line, which subsequently failed. It would've been nice to see Under Armour find the happy medium between balling out by buying a Super Bowl ad and doing the minimum.  It exists.

Well, despite no major ad buys, Kevin Plank, Under Armour CEO, did return armed with backup.  He recruited three Nike execs to help resurrect Under Armour's footwear line.  You know how the old saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em; but in this case, Plank had them join him.  Smart.  But is that enough to compete with the billion dollar marketing budget Nike has to spend?  Or the roster of professional athletes signed to Nike? Or all of the Nike endorsed teams on the AAU and college basketball level?  Nike is connecting with this market at a young age and building brand loyalty, which is key.

Don't get me wrong, Under Armour deserves a round of applause for redefining performance apparel, but I still think it's going to be extremely difficult for Under Armour to gain a substantial piece of Nike's 95% market share.

Although I'm heavily into sports, I traded sneakers for heels a long time ago and can't remember the last time I bought some kicks that weren't going to be used for running or workouts.  However, I do know style, and these Under Armour sneakers aren't speaking to me.  Maybe it's because Nike has dominated the basketball shoe market for so long, but these sneakers look real generic to me. Like, if I was 12 years old and my mom brought these home, I would feel some type of way.  Maybe it's just me, but there's something about that swoosh that makes your sneaker look official.  On second thought, it's definitely not just me.  Nike has a choke hold on 95% of the basketball shoe market for a reason.

What do you think?  Does Under Armour stand a chance at overtaking Nike, something that long time rivals Reebok and Adidas have been unable to do?

 
PUSH PLAY: UNDER ARMOUR BASKETBALL SHOES

Nike's World Basketball Festival

 
The NBA has done a fantastic job of keeping their buzz alive post NBA Finals.  The highly anticipated Free Agency period lived up to expectations with all of the off season moves.

The NBA will continue to ride this wave with the upcoming 2010 FIBA World Championship hosted in Turkey from August 28- September 12th.  I know the NFL season will be underway, but I'm sure fans will support Team USA and tune in to see if they will reclaim that elusive Gold medal from Spain.

Believe it or not, despite being current Olympic Gold medal winners, Team USA hasn't won Gold at the World Championship games since 1994.  That's a problem.  And, one reason for that is because most elite NBA players decline the invitation to participate.  So far, the roster includes Kevin Durant, David Lee, Chauncey Billups, Rudy Gay, Danny Granger, Brook Lopez, Andre Iguodala, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Rajo Rondo, Tyreke Evans, and Stephen Curry.  There are definitely some solid players on the list, but overall, the talent doesn't measure up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Redeem Team. 

Regardless, the show must go on.  And, to get folks more excited about the tournament, Nike and USA Basketball have teamed up to put on the World Basketball Festival.  The event will take place August 12-15th in New York City.  It will kickoff at Radio City Music Hall (8/12) and travel around the city to Harlem's Rucker Park (8/13 - 8/14) and back downtown to Madison Square Garden (8/15).  Here's the official word from NIKE and USA Basketball about the event.

This summer, NIKE, Inc. and USA Basketball are planning to bring the world's best basketball teams and top musical performers to New York City for the inaugural World Basketball Festival, a four-day celebration of the performance and culture of the game, an event that Nike has committed to reprising every two years.

The World Basketball Festival, August 12-15, features basketball's leading brands within the NIKE Inc. portfolio – Converse, the Jordan Brand, and Nike Basketball.

 The World Basketball Festival will celebrate the creativity that surrounds the game and the inspiration, attitude, and athleticism that define it.  On the hallowed ground of New York City courts, players and artists will demonstrate how the rhythm of a game has become the soundtrack of a culture and how a global community will unite to create basketball's new destiny.  

The World Basketball Festival, August 12-15, features basketball's leading brands and 100 years of footwear tradition- Nikebasketball, Jordan, and Converse. 

The event will also feature the top national basketball teams in the world, including China, Brazil, France, Puerto Rico, and the USA.

This should be a cool event.  If you live in the NYC area, then you should definitely check it out.  For me, basketball + live music = sold!  Although, the list of performers hasn't been released yet.

If you don't live in NYC, I'm sure you can follow the exhibition games on TV, however, I wasn't able to find details to confirm this.  To learn more about the event, hit up the World Basketball Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/worldbasketballfestival and their website at http://worldbasketballfestival.nikemedia.com/.

Lastly, in true NIKE fashion, they have designed a World Basketball Festival Collection with several country-themed NIKE Zoom Hyperfuse colorways.  Check them out below.  I have no idea when these are dropping.  Just know that they're "coming soon"!

Countries include (left to right) USA, Brazil, Canada, France and Puerto Rico.

NEW SH*T!!!  
As a new feature, I'm going to include links to related articles so you can learn more about each story.  You likes?

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• 2010 World Championships: Can This Team USA Begin A New Chapter Of Dominance? (sbnation.com)
• No Redeem Team players for 2010 basketball worlds (sports.espn.go.com)

Nike Outdoes Itself

Sorry it's been a minute since my last post.  I've just been busy handling business and trying to get these bills paid.  But don't worry, I know I gotta give you what you want, I gotta give you what you need! *in my Chuck D voice* I appreciate you visiting my blog, and don't want to lose you! I'm continuing to work on doing a better job of balancing everything.  It's just hard! OK, no more excuses.  Let's go! *in my Diddy voice*

World Cup fever is in full effect!  As I walk around NYC, I can't help but notice bars and restaurants promoting the event  on every street of every neighborhood. We only have about 2 weeks to go and I'm starting to get really pumped, especially because the NBA Playoffs have been a HUGE disappointment.  I can't wait to watch a tournament that makes me care.  And, as much as I love the NY Yankees, it's not enough for me.  I feel like a piece of me is missing, especially since I can't watch my Jets until August.  Thankfully that void will be filled on June 11th when the largest sporting event in the world starts.

Last week, Nike released a 3 minute promo for the World Cup called "Write the Future".  Everybody and their mama was in that spot.  Literally.  It's epic.  And, because it's so big, and has generated so much press, you'd think that Nike was an official partner of FIFA and the World Cup, if you didn't know any better.  They "just do it" big and go hard.  They rep some of the best soccer/football players in the World (Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Franck Ribery and Christiano Ronaldo) and reap the benefits of the implied association they make with the event, without using any FIFA intellectual property.  Rather than paying FIFA hundreds of million of dollars to become an official sponsor, like Adidas, they'd rather rally their roster of talent to sell their brand, while promoting the event at the same time. So smart.

Today, Adage released an article stating that Nike's release of "Write the Future" broke their own viral record for the biggest audience in the first week of a campaign with 7.8 million views.  That's A LOT of people!  The previous record, which was also held by Nike, was the creepy (my word, not theirs) "Earl and Tiger" ad, which debuted in April with 6.3 million views in its first week. Nike's latest feat is way more impressive because it didn't have the luxury of a sex scandal from the world's most popular athlete to benefit from. 

Seriously though, even if you are Adidas or FIFA, can you really be mad at Nike when they're bringing this many eyeballs to their work which in turn promotes the World Cup?   Every four years, Nike catches a lot of flack for "ambushing" this event.  I understand why people get upset with "ambushers".  At the end of the day, it's all about money.  But, in my opinion, if you're Adidas, FIFA, another official WC partner or a broadcast partner, you are also benefiting from the push Nike has put behind the World Cup and the worldwide appeal that it draws.  In fact, they should all be thanking Nike for creating such a buzzworthy spot that still has people talking about it a week after its release.

Here's a map showing where the video has had the most impact.  As you can see, it's penetrated every pocket of the world.  

  
Also, If you'd like to see which other viral videos made the list, check it.  Our favorite Old Spice man is back on the list. And, Pepsi's "Go Africa" spot (another unofficial partner) also made the list with 1 million views. 

Finally, if you haven't had a chance to see Nike's "Write the Future" spot, I got you.

PUSH PLAY:  Write the Future

It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop!

Think of two brands that have memorable or outstanding campaigns.  Was one Apple and the other Nike?  If so,  these two brands are often top-of-mind because they have evolved into lifestyle brands.  For Nike, that's in large part due to their Air Jordan line.

Today, The Atlanta Post released a Q&A article with Erin O. Patton, founder of The Mastermind Group, a strategic marketing agency, and author of Under the Influence:  Tracing the Hip-Hop's Generation's Impact on Brands, Sports, & Pop Culture.

I know you're wondering why you should care.  Just keep reading.

Erin O. Patton is the man credited with building the Air Jordan brand.  Now you're paying attention, right?

Growing up during the rise of the hip-hop era, Patton had the foresight to know that hip-hop was not merely a trend.  When Run DMC was rocking shell toes and rapping about it, or when LL wouldn't go anywhere without his Kangol, Patton was observing and strategizing. 

He recognized that showing love to these brands could be a huge business opportunity.  A way to connect with an untapped, young, loyal market in a manner that's never been done.

Before joining Nike, he worked for Burrell Advertising and Edelman PR.  It was his responsibility to build brand equity and relevance among the hip-hop generation.  Remember Sprite's Obey Your Thirst campaign?   Patton was the man behind that too.  See a trend?

Then, when Patton joined Nike he took it to the next level.  A product of the streets, he knew what needed to be done in order to reach Air Jordan's target consumer and for it to be a success.  He blessed the trendsetters and influencers aka rappers and barbers with the hottest product first.  When guys gathered in the barber shop or saw their favorite rappers rocking the freshest kicks before anyone else, a demand and buzz was created; thus birthing a movement.  He got it and continues to lend his genius towards developing strategies for Lebron James, The Williams Sisters and others.

Last night, after the Health Care Reform bill was passed, Nancy Pelosi addressed the House.  During her speech, she described President Obama as a visionary, a strategist, and a persuader.  Wow!  Who wouldn't want to be described as such?!?!  Those three adjectives resonated with me because in order to be an effective leader, you should exhibit all of those qualities.  Agreed?  Well, upon reading the Q&A with Patton, I felt like those adjectives were also applicable to him.  In no way am I suggesting he has the goods to be our next President, but he's definitely at the top of his game -- bridging brands with the hip-hop culture in a smart and authentic way.

If you're interested in marketing, advertising, PR, brand development, the business side of hip-hop or sports, then you must do yourself a favor and learn more about Erin Patton.  I guarantee that you'll respect him so much that you'll be inspired to read his book.  I'm copping mine right now!

You're welcome.

Welcome Sports Heads!!

OK, so this blog is long overdue.  Like years overdue.  But you know what they say, better late than never!  All Sports Everything, my (and soon to be your) new love, is exactly what it implies.  A blog about everything sports related...news + opinion + culture + advertising + sponsorships + endorsements + trades + anything else I feel like talking about, all in the name of sports.

I'm a proud Yankees fan + heartbroken Jets fan  + suffering Knicks fan with lots to say.  I'm a voice you want to hear.  Trust.  Welcome Sports heads!

Oh, and to my sneaker heads that also happen to rep the Yankees, Jets, and/or Knicks,  peep the kicks in the pic.  Fresh, uh!