On Saturday, Nike released a new advertising campaign to express the importance of social distancing during this time.
“If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance,” the ad release across social media reads. “Play inside, play for the world.”
The campaign promotes the brand’s workout app and comes as the brand announced that programming on its Nike Training Club app is now accessible to users free of charge. The subscription-based service includes studio-style workouts, training programs and tips from the athletic giant’s master trainers
Within an hour, several of the big-name athletes the company sponsors had posted the ad on their respective social media channels, including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Carli Lloyd and Cristiano Ronaldo, as reported by USA Today.
The message, developed with Wieden + Kennedy Portland, follows Nike’s announcement that the brand, its foundation and leaders would be committing more than $15 million to support COVID-19 response efforts. Nike’s chairman emeritus and Co-founder Phil Knight and wife Penny; Executive Chairman of the Board (and former CEO) Mark Parker and wife Kathy; and the brand’s current President and CEO John Donahoe and wife Eileen, are personally donating a combined $10 million.
Those funds will support some of the brand’s hometown organizations including the Oregon Food Bank ($1 million), the Oregon Community Recovery Fund created by the Oregon Community Foundation ($2 million) and Oregon Health & Science University ($7 million) to improve statewide care coordination in Oregon, increase patient access and ramp up operational readiness for expanded diagnostic testing for COVID-19.
The Nike Foundation also announced a $1 million donation to the global COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund that was created by the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, supporting the World Health Organization and its partners.
Photo courtesy Nike
