NIKE SKATEBOARDING | ZOOM PACK "WHAT'S UP WITH THESE SHOES?"

Nike SB was launching two new product innovations to the world - Zoom Air cushion in several of their most popular skate shoes and Fit-to-Move design for skate apparel. We needed to develop an idea and campaign that communicates Nike’s new product innovations in a way that authentically connected with skateboarding culture. 

Our challenge was tough - skateboarders are naturally skeptical of  innovation. They didn’t necessarily trust that new features would help them skate better. For the last 30 years, guys have been doing it with nothing but rubber and canvas, so why change now?  However, skateboarders would listen when they felt like you were an authentic part of their culture. They needed to be shown how innovation could help them in a specific way. Depending on the type of skating they were doing (big jumps, technically difficult tricks, etc.), a skater needed different things. Beyond knowing how an innovation improved their ride, skaters needed to be communicated to in a real way - a way that didn't come across as trying too hard and that spoke the language of their culture. 

Skaters like to goof off, laugh and love to make fun of themselves and their culture. It’s a laid back way of showing that they aren’t taking themselves too seriously. They just want to have fun and skate. They are also very observant and look at the world through a different lens. Who better to make fun of this technology, skaters and make it light and understandable than a stand-up comedian? 

With this campaign, we used a stand-up comedian to explain the technology in a observational, passionate way and not take this serious technology too seriously. The campaign played out as a direct conversation between a company dedicated to pushing the boundaries of skate shoe technology and skeptical skaters. JB Smooth’s observational and direct comedy lets us have this conversation in a way skaters could enjoy and actually get involved.