Nike’s Genius Move

In conjunction with Back to the Future Day – the date featured in the series’ second movie, 10/15/2015 – Nike unveiled a technological promise made by that very film. The self-tying sneaker.

Nike Branding

Nike Branding

Without the context of Back to the Future, the special edition shoe could have been a poorly-received gimmick – something for which no demand existed, and was in a way antithetical to the brand’s Just Do It ethos, which presumably extends to tying one’s own shoe. Given the aforementioned context, though, the move was genius. Not only did Nike piggyback on the trending status of Back to the Future Day, it also found a way to feed the humanitarian component of its brand.

Nike Branding

All proceeds of the shoes will go directly to the Michael J Fox foundation, funding research into Parkinson’s Disease. With this one branding campaign, Nike showcased a fun (if not commercially viable) concept that was both timely and connected to a good cause. The campaign was, in this sense, a triple threat, and provided an ideal model for special event branding campaigns.