Friday Think/g: Just Do It.
Hi, all.
Hope you had a good week.
Welcome to Friday Thing/k – a brand storytelling canvas where I’d like to share with you smart, creative, inspiring, engaging, cool, and innovative content marketing ideas that take my digital marketing breath away once a week.
TV is my old love.
I refer to it as her.
She’s a magic to me.
She knows how to emotionally manipulate me — the story, the visuals, the sound, the editing, the actors, the directors, the whole package are all a part of her magic.
So, I can understand why the CEOs and CMOs of the world, brand managers, their ad agency creative directors, and the media planners want to spend on TV.
We’re all under her spell.
The spell is so strong, it seems we have all confused the fact that maybe the magician is not actually her, but instead, the audio-visual content she spreads. TV is one of many screens these days and not the only one that can give you the shivers.
I get the shivers pretty much every time Nike releases a new film.
Last week it was a powerful new spot, created out of Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam for Nike Greece. It shines the spotlight on Greek athletes living up to their powerful sports heritage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Ra4TqQ7bQ
I bet Nike doesn’t create these films thinking about TV, but for more one-on-one moments between me/you/everyone and the story it tells, wherever we choose to watch it.
It’s designed for an ‘intimate scale’ because each single film speaks to the athlete in you, for as Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman has said, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.*”
You can’t just see a Nike ad in an ad break, you usually want to watch it again and again, like how many times I’ve seen Nike’s Write the Future**. (I don’t know how you feel, but for me, almost every single Nike ad gives the feeling of a religious revival***).
Inspired by Nike, and with your permission, I’d like to end this week’s thing/k with an open letter to the advertising agencies.
To the art directors, copywriters, their Mad-woman/man bosses out there and all of those who creates the brilliant thing/ks…
*Clears throat*
Take your work to the next level. Just do it.
Push the boundaries of storytelling. Just do it.
Speaking of boundaries, don’t let the formats limit you. Just do it.
Engagement has no specs so consider that two-minute film****. Just do it.
Creative ideas want to be amplified. Just do it for them.
Think TV, now imagine something bigger. Then just do it.
Be genuine, inspire*****, add value, take me to a journey. Pick and own my interest. Just do it.
Come on, you’re artists, you’re THE brands editors and storytellers! Another 30″ TVC?? Don’t just do it.
You’re the ones that can pull creative magic from…anything and for everything. That’s why I tip my hat***** to you.
Just do it.
See you next Friday.
As always, feedback is more than welcome, and needed so please leave comments below. Additionally, if you have anything/k in mind, I would love to discover it.
Just call me Joe.
My favorite Nike ads that took part in this post:
* Last. Anyone can be a runner. All you have to do is start running.
** Write The Future – World Cup 2010 Commercial with few familiar faces.
*** Together – LeBron James is back to Cleveland.
**** Ripple – Golf start Rory McIlroy influenced by some of the great moments in Tiger Woods’ career.
***** RE2SPECT – Baseball legend Derek Jeter celebrated by Tip-of-the-Hat Nike ad.
