Many sports brands have achieved a great deal of brand exposure from their excellent online campaigns, particularly through social media.
The sports industry are pros at creating social media campaigns that further shoot athletes into stardom and ensure sponsors are hot on their heels.
Here are 3 fantastic examples that will get you inspired:
Contents
Nike – The Chosen
Nike first launched this campaign back in 2011, but it has also been run in subsequent years.
It marked a switch from traditional advertising to a greater focus on social media as the initiative premiered on Facebook, including a 90-second video ad that appeared online three days before it was finally shown on TV.
The campaign focused on niche sports such as BMX, skating and snowboarding, and called for people to submit their own videos across each of the sports.
Participants were supposed to build buzz around their submissions using Facebook and other social networks.
Various professionals and athletes determined the overall winner, who was awarded ‘The Chosen’ lifestyle.
It’s a great example of Nike taking advantage of social media and user-generated content to build buzz around its niche sports products.
BMX and RedBull– Around the World
For this campaign, BMW and RedBull united with the pro rider Jorge “Viki” Gomez to create the “BMXplore Tour,” travelling around the world and performing aerobatics with their bikes for all to enjoy.
The idea behind the campaign was to visit places where BMX has never been seen before and to inspire people with new ways of expressing art using a bicycle, whilst promoting a young and healthy lifestyle (and their brands of course).
BMX and RedBull received high brand visibility and awareness through social media. Not only was Gomez promoting the products he likes around the world, but he also cemented them in the minds of his many followers through social media.
#RainbowLaces
#RainbowLaces was created with the aim of taking homophobia out of football by encouraging players to don colourful laces on the pitch.
Backed by the Football Association, Paddy Power, Stonewall and a large number of football clubs, the social media campaign is a huge success and over 30% of the UK population are aware of the cause.
This social media campaign was effective as it used football player’s influential voices to raise awareness for the cause and for equalities. The young generation of football fans heard their idols preaching a message and saw this as an opportunity to connect with them personally by showing their support.
The fact that the campaign promoted a positive message meant that other brands also saw this as an opportunity to improve their corporate social responsibility efforts and at the same time stay relevant.
For example, Smirnoff also used the theme in their marketing communications, only expanding the campaigns reach by spreading the message to an audience beyond the football crowd.
