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... it's a cultural revolution...
After all, sports is important not only from the standpoint of physical exercise which has obvious health benefits. Women who exercise regularly or play sports also tend to have a better body image, regardless of their actual shape or size. Besides, sports is a great equaliser that doesn't discriminate between race, religion and gender.
From a marketing point of view, the timing was perfect to introduce the Pro Hijab on International Women's Day. Trust Nike to match the innovation with a global event.
Also, Nike perfectly timed their new TVC in the Middle East, released two weeks ago which encourages women to participate in sports.
Stephane Missier, Planning Director at Weiden+Kennedy Amsterdam, Nike's ad agency, told AdWeek earlier, 'Nike has in the past, tackled the insecurities women face when it comes to doing sport, but in our markets, we discovered different insecurities - in the form of societal expectations, gender discrimination and community pressures. The barriers we found became the foundation for the work, in each case flipping stereotypes and preconceptions."
What's wonderful is that Nike is making sure that no sports person is being discriminated against or disadvantaged; from their earlier campaign featuring a transgender duathlete, Chris Mosier and the 86 year old 'Iron Nun' to its more recent International Women's Day ads featuring sportswomen from Russia Turkey and Middle East.
Well done Nike! Please keep doing it!
(The author is chief mentor, HGS Interactive)