How Nike Is Going All In On Marathon Moments
Even without a sponsorship, Nike owned the NYC Marathon, thanks to some smart, well-placed OOH ads.
I took a much-needed mental health break last week (let’s be real, most of us did), but we’re back to dive into the running boom and how brands like Nike are jumping in on it.
So... Is Everyone Running Marathons Now?
COVID had everyone cooped up, which led tons of people to take up running as a way to stay active and keep their sanity in check. The runner’s high was real. Fast forward to today, and it seems like everyone is running. Run clubs are booming—they’re the new way to get fit, make friends, and even meet other singles. If you’re in a city, you’ve probably spotted packs of 20- and 30-somethings flooding the streets, usually between 6-9pm on weeknights.
These same people are now filling up marathon signups at record numbers. Once a niche activity, distance running has exploded, and marathons are more popular than ever. You can see it in the numbers: average finish times are getting slower as more casual runners join, even while the fastest runners keep breaking records. It’s proof that marathons have officially gone mainstream.
How Nike Intercepted The NYC Marathon
Living in NYC, you get to see some of the most creative brand moments unfold right in the city streets. Case in point: Nike’s unexpected OOH takeover for the NYC Marathon on November 3. Even though they weren’t an official sponsor (New Balance was! 😬), Nike still went all in, securing OOH placements across the marathon route with messages tailored to runners.
Sometimes brands try so hard to appeal to everyone that they end up connecting with no one. Nike took the opposite approach with the NYC Marathon: they focused on a specific audience at the right moment, creating an authentic presence that truly captured the spirit of the event.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Back in October, Nike showed up at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, where they were actually brand sponsor.
They went all in on the same bold orange design, even wrapping their entire downtown store in orange with messages celebrating the commitment it takes to train for a marathon.
Being a sponsor gave Nike room to get extra creative. In-store, they set up a “marathon runner’s station” where runners could design merch and make custom bibs before race day.
They also rolled out a guerrilla-style pop-up in the form of an orange-branded van, where a street team handed out free pairs of Nike shoes if you traded in your old ones—a clever way to create buzz and throw a little shade at competitors.
The day after the marathon, Nike dropped a 30-second spot called Stairs, spotlighting the classic post-marathon struggle of walking down stairs. The spot traveled all over social media, largely because it touched on such a relatable, but often overlooked, truth about running. (Watch here)
Takeaways for Marketers
Nike’s brand heat has been cooling off for a while now. They just reported their steepest sales drop since Covid and even brought in a new CEO to shake things up. But with their recent running campaigns and a quick-hit campaign after the LA Dodgers’ big win, it feels like Nike’s getting back to the kind of marketing that made them iconic for so many years.
Show Your Audience You See Them: Nike connected with the running community by delivering tailored messages and activations that genuinely reflected the real experience of marathon training, proving they truly understand their audience.
Don’t Let A Sponsorship Stop You: Nike’s bold move at the NYC Marathon shows that smart positioning can be just as impactful as an official sponsorship. Creative event intercepts let brands join in without breaking the bank. With the Super Bowl around the corner, I’m excited to see who pulls it off next.
Until next time, keep thinking outside the banner ad. ✌️