Dear Nike - this headline is a total miss. Here's why:
• When you mention "sparkles," which are part of the uniform or how someone looks, instead of how they perform as an athlete, you objectify women. It's inappropriate and offensive. For anyone needing a reminder, please watch #covertheathlete from ad agency John St., circa 2015.
• You missed an opportunity to speak to greatness. For those who don't know, the Nike athlete in the ad is Jordan Chiles, a highly decorated gymnast from the Tokyo Olympics, a viral sensation for her floor routines with UCLA gymnastics, and a total "hype girl" in the arena. She dances between her routines, gets the audience fired up, cheers on her teammates, and exudes sheer joy – even when she is under extreme pressure. It's part of her magic.
• While this is not the worst offense in the history of being disrespectful to women, I simply expect more from Nike. As a former gymnast, a huge fan, and a writer/CD, I would have cautioned against anything tied to appearance. Especially after the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar, was convicted of sexually assaulting "at least 250 young women and girls" - including Simone Biles who is Jordan's teammate, training partner and best friend.
• Finally, on the most basic level, the line does not speak to the audience. Sports fans in general, and gymnastics fans in particular, do not need convincing to appreciate the athleticism, grit and grace of these super humans.
As a long-time fan of Nike and (nearly all of) their advertising, I was excited to hear Nike signed their first partnership with USA Gymnastics earlier this year. It's the first time Nike has backed the national team, vs. an individual athlete. Nike will provide new kits for all of the gymnasts in 2025. Perhaps with fewer sparkles??
#sportsmarketing #womenssports #powerofshe #teamUSA #gymnastics #olympics #paris2024
Nike’s ad for the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team 🇺🇸
Marketing Manager @ Town of Mooresville NC | Driving Growth & Engagement | Driven By Innovation | Brand Development Junkie
3moI usually feel pretty inspired by the NIKE Ads. Gotta say this one leaves me uninspired. I watched the Olympic trials, and the emotion, electricity and drama was amazing. If you are going to use the tag line "Don't let the sparkles fool you" perhaps an image of the raw emotion, explosive performance or unified group photo at the end would have been more appropriate to convey why the sparkles shouldn't fool you? Again, all this is subjective, but this is my feeling as a marketing professional.