Nike's "Horror" ad created by Wieden & Kennedy that was
pulled by NBC after numerous viewer complaints, is a "far
cry from the inspiring and empowering 'Just Do It' that
defined the Nike brand," according to Lynne Duke of the
WASHINGTON POST. But Nike Senior Manager of Communications
Scott Reames said, "If you're not on the edge, you're taking
up too much room. ... [Nike was] using hyperbole and
exaggeration to show where sport athleticism comes out in an
unusual situation." W&K Dir of Client Services Ben Kline:
"There's no intentional violent edge to the campaign. I
think it was just a way of being funny in an over-the-top
kind of way and adding some drama." Trends Journal Editor
Gerald Celente: "Nike is losing the mass-market appeal, so
now they're aiming at the extremes, and what they hope is
that by showing the extremes, the rest of us have a desire
to be part of the extreme. ... [But] when you go for the
extremes you risk alienating a large segment of the
population" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/20). Marketing Consultant
Cone Inc. CEO Carol Cone didn't like the timing of the Nike
spot: "This year, women are doing exceedingly well [at the
Games]. Their timing was really bad" (SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS, 9/20). SI's "Scorecard" notes the Nike ad debut
"immediately followed Cathy Freeman's poignant lighting" of
the Olympic torch on Friday. SI: "Execution -- four rings;
taste -- zero rings" (SI, 9/25). In Boston, David Nyhan
calls the spot "tasteless and tacky" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/20).
Inside.com TV Editor Kyle Pope, on Olympic ads being "dark,"
such as Nike's "Horror": "It's very un-Olympic when you
think about it. Most of the commercials that are produced
for the Games are sort of joyous and they celebrate athletic
achievement. There have been a whole bunch of ads that have
run during these Olympics that have ... been sour and dour,
and I don't really know why that is" ("Biz Buzz," 9/19).
ONUS ON NBC? Ad Age's Bob Garfield called the ad
"disgraceful and just stupid. ... I don't know how NBC could
run a commercial like that" (N.Y. POST, 9/20). AdWeek's
Barbara Lippert: "The networks are getting more and more
conservative about what they will accept" ("Inside Edition,"
9/19). CNNfn's Beverly Schuch noted an NBC spokesperson
"admits that NBC aired the ad with some trepidation and had
been bracing for a possible outcry" ("Biz Buzz," 9/19).
NIKE RIGHT WHERE IT WANTS TO BE: Nike's Reames defended
the spot: "I don't think (consumers) expect us to deliver
cheesy, safe, bland advertising ... for us to create ads
with puppy dogs, flowers and cheery music. That's just not
who we are. In our view, [runner] Suzy Hamilton is the
victor, not the victim because of her athleticism" (OTTAWA
CITIZEN, 9/20). In Orlando, Jerry Greene: "I thought it was
funny -- my wife hated it" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/20).
MORE SWOOSH FROM DOWN UNDER: CNBC's Mike Hegedus
reported that despite a number of Fortune 500 companies
spending "more money on Olympic sponsorships than Nike,
there are very few of them that have as much on the line or
[are] expected to get as much of a bounce or hope to [in
terms of] image [and] sales." Nike Global Brand Dir Martha
Ivester said, "Between Euro 2000 ... and the Sydney 2000
Olympics, Nike is investing around" $100M. Hegedus was
wearing a Nike Australian jacket ("Market Wrap," 9/19)...In
Dallas, Ken Stephens reports that U.S. sprinter Michael
Johnson "won't be throwing" his Nike shoes into the crowd
like he did in Atlanta, as the current model has "enough
gold droplets ... to really dazzle you." Johnson: "These
are a little more expensive." Nike says that the "high-
tech" shoelaces on the shoe "can save up to a hundredth of a
second over 200 meters" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/20).
Johnson was profiled on NBC's "Today" show and Jamie Gangel
reported, "Estimates are that [Johnson] has earned close to
$20 million dollars in endorsements." Johnson: "That's a
little inflated. I do well." Afterwards, NBC's Katie
Couric and Matt Lauer displayed one of the gold shoes Nike
has designed for Johnson. Lauer: "It's very light,
supposedly very comfortable, and when the Nike folks put
these shoes together, they all wear white gloves so they
don't dull the gold." Couric: "Pretty snazzy" (NBC, 9/20).
