The Little Sweatshop of Thoughts

i just watched this amazing ad by nike for its training gear. Just click on the link within the site that asks you to spend 60s getting motivated. the website is very interactive, providing people with different goals useful tips on how to execute them. very discretely placed, are links to the merchandise where they tell you how they are performance-enhancing and what they can do for your goals. no mention of prices but instead a list of outlets on where to buy them.

i find the the ad truly inspirational. it shows how Federer, Sharapova, Bryant, C. Ronaldo and Manny Pacquiao (kickboxer) train to reach their goals. the tagline for the series is ‘How hard will you work for your goal?’ which i think is a powerful statement to make. and by featuring popular, prominent young athletes shown working hard to get their success, it puts into perspective that hard work can pay. by ‘humanising’ the atheletes, the ad makes it seem that such success is actually possible for ‘mere mortals’ if push ourselves as hard. simply awesome.

plus, this is just off the cuff, but by just segmenting their existing market to target the ‘fitness freaks’ and people considering turning pro, it reaches out to more people, making it more than just another branded exercise wear. nike may not even have to spend a lot more on this new product line, just advertising maybe. very cleverly, it can now charge a premium for its gear by pressing the right buttons.

i’m hooked.