The best marketing work continues to make a splash long after its initial execution – and Nike’s recent “Dream Crazy” campaign is doing just that. The brand’s Colin Kaepernick billoard, which coincided with an attention-seizing tweet by Kaepernick himself, just won a Grand Prix award in the Outdoor category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The billboard, which features a tight black-and-white photo of Kaepernick’s face, reads “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” It was obviously a controversial decision by Nike to feature him so prominently for the 30th anniversary of their Just Do It tagline, but it’s one that has been commended by many.
The outdoor execution was done in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and won’t soon be forgotten. One CCO, Paul Nagy of VMLY&R, said in the AdAge article that it’s the best Nike execution of all time.
While the campaign did extremely well in the social media realm, there will always be room for impactful advertising on billboards. After all, those who disagree with Kaepernick and Nike can’t mute or block a billboard.
Image Courtesy of Nike