Bare Necessities: Nike Runners Go Naked In Viral Ad For New Shoe

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Nike has launched a new online ad to promote its new Free running shoes that includes several pro runners who "run bare" except for the shoes, according to Laura Oppenheimer of the Portland OREGONIAN. Nike claims that its new shoes "feel like running barefoot," and the company takes that "freedom a step further" by having the athletes in the ad run naked. The two-minute video, created in house, launched this month at nikerunning.com and has "generated buzz across the blogosphere and scored hundreds of thousands of views." The ad takes place at the "cleverly named -- but totally fictional -- Bear Butte Running Camp." In the video, the camp director says, "We like to think of ourselves as more than just a high-altitude training camp. Our approach is about really getting back to basics." The video features some extras, but the rest are "Nike-sponsored athletes who train in Oregon" (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/29).