Nike Hits High 5 With Interactive Advertising Deal
The true potential of online TV advertising will be demonstrated with a pioneering partnership signed by Nike and 365 Media Group's advertising sales arm, 365 Digital Media to promote the launch of the nationwide Nike 5 football tournament and its associated product range.
Instead of a straightforward advertising deal, 365 Media Group will broadcast the official launch of the Nike 5 national five-a-side tournament on its TEAMtalk TV broadband football channel. This programme will then be edited to create one minute adverts to be run on TEAMtalk TV, as well as sister station Football365 TV.
"The Nike 5 range offers kit and boots developed especially for ordinary people who play football, which is why a national tournament is being organised to celebrate its launch," says Colin Elms, director of advertising and sponsorship for 365 Digital Media. "With this campaign, we are really demonstrating the potential of interactive online broadcasting, which turns advertising into a two-way process."
This is thought to be the first time that an online campaign has been structured in this way, offering multiple televisual, static and interactive promotional opportunities on a single website. It has been made possible by 365 Media's decision to launch the UK's first broadband sports TV network in the run-up to the World Cup, a move which has significantly boosted traffic to it sports news and content portals.
"Nike 5 is one of our biggest launches for 2006, so we were looking for innovative ways to promote the range," says Gen Kobayashi of Mindshare Interaction, Nike's media agency. "The launch tournament, which featured Arsene Wenger as guest of honour, was intended to showcase the competition and the products on offer, so what better way than to televise it, than on the 365 Media network?"
The Nike 5 range offers tough, no-nonsense boots, strips and associated kit, especially designed to meet the needs of dedicated amateur teams week-in, week-out. It is these teams who are being invited to take part in the Nike 5 national tournament, named after the new range.
The core TEAMtalk TV and Football365 TV audience of 18 to 35 year old males in the ABC1 demographic fits perfectly with this target market and it is hoped that the innovative campaign, fronted by familiar presenters from both channels, will score a big hit for Nike.