At the British Interactive Media Awards (ps got one for Intel woohoo) last night Nike and AKQA did really well – congratulations to them for an outstanding showing. I was asked by another Client at the event how helpful it is to have Nike as a brand to play with. Poke did well with Orange too, another brand that has a certain award friendliness.
Years ago I was watching a focus group through a glass wall, with the moderator showing some work we had made for a car client. (I’ll keep the names quiet to protect the innocent). Then he showed a host of competitor pieces, and everyone lit up. We thought, and post-prodded consumers came round to the idea too, I’m pleased to say, that our work was really good. Different, provocative, even. But it didn’t get a gut reaction.
Chatting to the moderator afterwards, he said, well, it’s the brand, They just see those (dull, bland, ordinary) cars, and when they see the other (cool, sporty, dynamic) cars, they, well, just light up.
I guess it’s all of our concern to create work that sets the long-term values and tonality for brands that give them privileged status with the consumer. Is it so much harder to win awards with more ‘challenged’ brands?
It'a hard not to like Nike so already the brand is scoring high points - so then comes a really creative and cleverly thought out brief to work alongside Nike. The combination is bound to be a major success. The brief clearly deserves the credit too but would it have been as successful with Kappa? (Does Kappa still exist?!)
Kappa's still going. Not sure if they still endorse Diego Maradona? They sponsor the Italian rugby team.
Established brand power will always give it an extra 10% over other competitors, but you have to remember that even super brands such as Nike were relatively non established at some point in their career. Working your way up the brand pyramid means fighting hard, and sometimes dirty, to ensure when people think about a product type, they think about your brand. Nike has been heralded for its products and advertising, but also for treading on toes and getting in trouble, and by finding the balance between these, even the smallest brands could one day find themself a worldwide name.
Brands are living breathing things. What is admirable about Nike's communications work is that it continues to drive for respect for the work as well as what the brand is saying. It's also true that brands that once were burnished bright can become tarnished and quite finished. Think Townsend Thoresen, Lehman Brothers, even Kodak. I agree that even the smallest brands can become worldwide names.
Alastair Duncan
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