Are you a jogger? Are you always alone and take the steps forward on your own? Nike heard you. With high technologies, it creates an “avatar of you”, who runs with you in real time!
The so-called “Unlimited Stadium” is the world’s first 200-meter full-size LED running track taking the form of a figure-eight, which looks like a giant footprint of a Nike shoe on the bustling financial center Bonifacio Global City in Manila, Philippines.
What’s special about Unlimited Stadium is the LED screen along the running track. When you run, “your avatar” on the screen will follow you, running with your best time on this running track to visualize your performance. This avatar, serving as the goal you set, encourages you to race against “it”. Isn’t that cool?
▲Your avatar is shown on the screen to run with you.
Here is how it works: Each runner is equipped with a hyper accurate radio-frequency identification (RFID, its works basically like the Easycard) chip tied on the runner’s shoes. The RFID tracks your first lap time, and “your avatar” starts running from the second lap (In short, it’s like the ghost car in a racing video game). In the beginning, the avatar is in 1:1 size. As you beat yourself and run faster and further, the avatar becomes larger. Once you beat yourself, a faster you appears on the next lap, challenging you to keep bettering your best, over and over again, limitless.
▲The RFID chip tied on the shoes is the key.
▲ Nike: Nike Unlimited Stadium from Ads of the World on Vimeo.
Remember what I said in the title, “a good brand brings out a better you”? Before I go into this topic, let’s review the concept of “Unlimited You” that Nike keeps stressing in the recent years.
This event, also developed under this main concept, is of course not simply giving customers a running track. It combines “product launch + promoting NTC + social amplification” to serve the purpose of the brand: increase sales.
1. Product launch:
The concept of product launch starts with the giant shoe print. This shoe print is in the form of the bottom of Nike’s new product LunarEpic Low Flyknit. At the event venue, LunarEpic series shoes are also demonstrated. Nike knows that few customers are into solely product launch, so it needs to present it through Unlimited Stadium, which is “more closely related to customers’ daily lives”, in order to attract more people’s attention and stimulate more discussions.
▲ Giant Nike shoe print.
2. Promoting Nike Training Club:
To participate in this event, it requires more than an RFID chip to get Nike let you run on this track. Nike is smart. When volunteer participants come to the venue, she seizes the chance of communication to “embed” the trainings of Nike Training Club. Before runners set off on the track, Nike’s professional trainers lead a 15-minute NTC warm-up; during running, runners connect to Nike Running Club; after running, there are also cool-down exercises, yoga, and etc. After completing the whole set, you feel as if you’ve finished a set of sound training, and you will have an impression that you “can also use NTC in your daily exercises.” Nike Training Club plays a similar role with Nike’s content marketing: When you exercise, it keeps you aware of Nike, until it penetrates your daily life.
3. Social media promotion:
Think about it: Will you take photos and upload them to social media if you participate in this event? Nike not only knows that you will do this but creates more “moments” that make you want to share with others. For example: On the ground of the venue, a big section is provided for finishers to write down their feelings. Not to mention this intro video, which makes those who don’t have the chance to participate want to share and like on social media simply after watching it. Isn’t that so?
▲Leave your “footmark” on the ground after you finish. Won’t you share it?
A good brand definitely involves more than presenting the reality of its target market. Quite often, it gives you a glimpse of “a better you”. Once again, Nike set an outstanding example for that.