Nike spent years and millions trying to own the sub 2-hour marathon conversation with their award-winning Breaking2 campaign.
Today, for the first time ever, two men crossed the finish line in London in under two hours, both wearing adidas.
In many industries, brands don’t talk to, engage with, or even acknowledge their biggest competitors.
Nike’s response?
No defensiveness. No spin. No silence.
Just confidence. Classic Swoosh.
Most brands would’ve disappeared today. Let the news cycle pass. Pretend it didn’t happen.
Instead, Nike congratulated their biggest competitor and their athletes on the biggest moment in marathon history.
With this simple asset and a captioned quote from Eliud Kipchoge, they reminded everyone exactly why they’re still the most powerful brand in sport and one of the most aspirational brands in the world.
This is what brand confidence looks like in practice.
The brands that break through in culture aren’t the ones that win every battle. They’re the ones secure enough to tip their hat when their competitor makes history.
This was originally posted to LinkedIn.