Game Killers

Whilst any good campaign takes carefully honed preparation, there’s nothing like the level of planning required for a witty agile responsive marketing campaign. In-the-moment reactions need to have the timing of Kylian Mbappé and the scalpel-like precision of Alexia Putellas. 

So, charged with driving the campaign for the launch of Nike’s Phantom Venom and Mercurial at the beginning of 2019’s football season, we decided to get the campaign momentum started with a series of responsive real-time scenarios around some key matches.

In the midst of a Champions League match between PSG and Manchester United, we had our Mini Oreos moment. In the course of our preparation we’d singled out Kylian Mbappé and Marcus Rashford as the most likely game killers and had introduced them in a ‘select the player’ gaming-inspired mini-film during the pre-match build up for the Old Trafford leg. 

We then sat with bated breath, ready to leap into action with a response at any key moment and had our first little victory off the back of Mbappé’s when he scored an unexpected goal and we were able to instantly drop a video response of him doing his iconic arms-folded goal celebration.

About two weeks later, after losing that first leg, Man United was under heavy pressure with the impossible-seeming task of needing to regain their footing by scoring another three goals on away turf. 

At the 89th minute, after a tense match that wasn’t going well, Rashford scored an explosive winning goal and we had THE perfect finesse-shot response that allowed us to ride the crest of the publicity around the win.

So we got ‘lucky’...on the back of some seriously considered planning and preparation.

A little bit of luck can always help. But it’s more about getting deeply stuck in to the honing and the crafting. Working hard in preparation of that perfect moment, getting all the pulleys and levers in place. Really knowing the subject matter. And always striving for those ‘effortless’ moments that will leave a legacy.