The 'Dare to Zlatan' campaign by Nike used both print and digital advertising methods. The digital campaign was conducted mostly through the use of social media, they used there own hashtag (#DaretoZlatan) throughout the campaign to help gain traction to the campaign. Furthermore in the digital advertising sector they also created promotional videos to publish on YouTube and TV. Where as with the print advertising they created Billboards and magazine articles.
Throughout the campaign Nike been consistent with the colours they have used, they decided on bright and vibrant colours such as bright green on top of a navy blue. The reason behind this will be to promote the message that is 'Dare to Zlatan' which basically means to stand out and do things that others wouldn't 'dare' try. The font used throughout the campaign has been consistent as they have used a 'handwriting/signature' font, this will have been done to make it seem like it has been written by Zlatan Ibrahimovic himself, which would increase the reach of the campaign.
My thoughts on the choice of colour and font are positive as it attracts the viewer with the bright colours, this is a big risk that a company like Nike can afford to take and have been consistent with it throughout the campaign in both the digital and print aspects of advertising
Different techniques used by digital and print media:
Digital :
The digital aspect of Nike's campaign is very strong they have utilised there existing large audience across popular social platforms such as Twitter , Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to their advantage. They created a 3 part promotional video in which the main star Zlatan performs near to impossible skills in 3 extreme climates. A possible reason to a 3 part promotional video could be to keep the viewer engaged in the campaign for a longer period as well as to help convey the message in many different ways.
Dare To Zlatan - Part 1
In part 1 of the advert Zlatan is in what appears to be stood on a rock surrounded by burning lava performing skills with a football, this engages the audiences as it is very unique and has not been done before. The advert uses the soundtrack from the song 'HEAVY METAL' by Don Felder. Nike ended the advertisement by having the words 'Dare to Zlatan' across the screen in the same font as in the social media campaign.
Dare To Zlatan - Part 2
In the second part of the advertisement Zlatan is in freezing conditions standing on ice and snow, in this advert he is face to face with a white tiger which roars to his face as Zlatan performs footballing skills, to which Zlatan then nods towards the tiger to indicate he isn't afraid. This clearly portrays the message of the campaign which is ' Dare To Zlatan' or in other words to not be scared of anything and to do anything which may seem impossible. Nike have remained consistent within the advertisements as well by using the same backing soundtrack of 'HEAVY METAL' by Don Felder. And then also ending the advert with 'Dare to Zlatan' written across the screen in the same font as the previous advert and the social media adverts.
Dare To Zlatan - Part 3
In part 3 and the final advertisement Zlatan is blindfolded and is seen dribbling a football around lightning strikes.This once again shows how Nike have managed to consistently engage the audience as well as continuing to portray the message of 'Dare To Zlatan'. Towards the end of the advert Zlatan screams up towards the sky in a way to say is that all you have to show that he is capable of more than others think he is. This is what Nike are trying to also show, that 'you' the audience can do things that might seem impossible.Finally Nike have remained incredibly consistent throughout all three adverts by using the same soundtrack that is 'HEAVY METAL' by Don Felder. And then also ending the advert with 'Dare to Zlatan' written across the screen in the same font as the previous two adverts and the social media campaigns.
Nike have used there partnership with their talent Zlatan well in the promotional videos. They have edited the videos that are aesthetically pleasing, and included a good balance of CGI to allow a good viewing pleasure to the audience as well as still displaying their message in a clear form . By using Zlatan as a centre of the campaign, will certainly attract viewers as he is a well known world class professional athlete who has a large following that will be well engaged towards the campaign, thus making it successful instantaneously. It also further engages football supporters as they will be keen to keep up with the latest trends in the footballing world and even more when it includes one of the best players in the world. Finally throughout all 3 videos Nike have consistently mentioned there slogan of this campaign which is 'Fear Nothing'
Another example of Nike's digital marketing strategy is the use of social media and the act of having talent interact with fans using the hashtag ('#DareToZlatan').
Examples below.
Today’s been good. Continue as Zlatan has taught you. If ever in doubt. Use this. #DareToZlatan pic.twitter.com/0Y3jpBnLPE— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) March 10, 2014
Big games are not decided by those who play it safe. #DaretoZlatan with @nikefootball pic.twitter.com/Re6BOOVaYd— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) March 1, 2014
Take risks and surprise your opponents. Once you've done that, send them one of these. #DareToZlatan pic.twitter.com/59vS2RS3pu— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) March 10, 2014
Dear @Khaledsaifi. Zlatan used this simple thought process. #DareToZlatan pic.twitter.com/zshiqHl9eY— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) March 10, 2014
In the Final part of Nikes campaign they challenged people to create videos that represented the #DaretoZlatan campaign. For this many people filmed themselves doing challenges that relate to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and then published them on YouTube with the hashtag #DaretoZlatan.
An example is shown below :
Print:
For the Print advertisements Nike continued with there consistent use of there bright and vibrant colour green contrasting the navy blue. They used quotes shown on the right across billboards and newspapers adverts to promote the #daretozlatan campaign.
In print media there is no moving imagery/visuals or any audio, therefore they have to engage the audience throughout still images and text. I feel the Nike have done this very well they have included still images of Zlatan who is very well known through his appearance this already engages the audience, furthermore they have added witty and slightly cocky quotes from Zlatan that help represent his personality and help spread the message of the campaign. As well as this on the print media they have included the hashtag which links to the digital media aspect of the campaign, which is a method of cross media integration by Nike.
Nike have been very effective in the digital adverts of promoting the slogan of 'Fear Nothing'. When comparing this to the print side of the campaign they have severely lacked on this front. I personally feel that Nike may have overlooked the slogan in the print as they were trying to use the print side to help gain an audience for the digital media side. This is common with major companies as we live in a digital world, meaning the easiest way to gain an audience and viewership is through social platforms on digital media. In this instance I feel Nike have used the print platform to help boost the digital media viewership and have overlooked a section of their audience who prefer to view advertisements on print media.
