Effies 2008: Nike’s hustle BUStle cricket

The Nike ad created by JWT brought alive “gutsy” cricket in a crowded Mumbai street

The Nike ad made by JWT, which became as entertaining as a game of cricket, ruled television sets during the ICC World Cup last year. It has deservingly made it to the top 30 shortlist for the Effies this year.

While there was a need to use cricket as the backdrop for the communication, JWT knew that a mere association with the game wouldn’t do the trick. The team wanted to refrain from using celebrities as endorsers because they were endorsing various other brands in diverse categories such as FMCG and apparel. Instead, the creative agency wanted to create a connect with this cricket crazy country, minus any jingoism or stereotypical attributes, in an authentic and inspiring manner.

Nike decided to have a point of view on the game. For football, the sports brand had a property called Brilliant Football, where Nike endorsed the most brilliant moment that captured the victory of a player and the essence of the game on the whole.

In order to have a point of view on cricket, JWT and Nike spoke to the top players and did some research. They arrived at three aspects that would define their communication: character over cover drive, temperament over technique and fighting spirit over flamboyance.

JWT decided to create a television commercial that symbolised gutsy cricket, which was true to the game and resonant of India’s attachment to the game. And this was evident in the TVC (show link), which had a few young cricketers trapped in a jam in a crowded Mumbai street. One of them climbs on to the roof of the bus, only to be joined by his teammate, who gestures to him to bowl. An impromptu game of cricket begins on a rather unconventional pitch – the roof of the bus. Neighbourhood youngsters join the game and fellow commuters become keen spectators. The ad is accompanied by a catchy Konkani song, which renders an exuberant touch.

The print ads also reflected the rebellious spunk of the brand. One of the ads featured cricketer Sreesanth, and the copy read: ‘You Have More Experience. So?’ Another one had Irfan Pathan with the line, ‘I Let The Ball Do The Talking’.

The TVC enjoyed tremendous PR and was written about extensively in all media. The ad uploaded on YouTube got close to a million hits, had three Orkut communities named after the brand, and the background song was played even in discothèques. The ad enjoyed 80,000 mobile downloads within two weeks of its launch.

For Nike, sales went up by 40 per cent and 60 per cent of jerseys were sold within 10 days of the ad launch.

The Effies 2008 case study presentations were held on November 20, 2008, at the Welingkar Institute of Management in Mumbai. The event has been sponsored by Yahoo! India, Marico, Vodafone and Brand Equity. The Effies are organised by Ad Club Mumbai and are based on the effectiveness of ad campaigns.