In Julie's post yesterday, she calls on brands to reject the false and fake and infuse their advertising with authenticity.  I recently saw a great spot from Nike that does just that.   

Admittedly, you may think The Dozen has turned from marketing and innovation blog to a Nike soccer blog – but bear with me for this post – as I think it’s a great lesson in brand authenticity. We all know that Nike can do the big and glossy spots with all the superstars - we even blogged about it a couple weeks ago.  But this new commercial is born from a song that originated on the football terraces at Anfield (Liverpool's storied stadium). Nike took that song, plus the local fans' love for their new striker Fernando Torres and turned it into an Iberian love-fest. I love the ad, but others don't agree, including Scott Murray at the Guardian who upon seeing the spot, wrote the following:

For goodness sake -  that Torres "Liverpool's number nine" [song], has already been appropriated by Nike for an advert. Is there nothing the moneymen won't sully? Can these people never leave things be, even if it's just for a year or two?

I completely disagree. I think it's a true statement of authenticity, when brands are inspired (some might say steal…) from real life like this. Surely that's the only path to authenticity and connection. Sure, there's elements that are fake (I can't really imagine Liverpudlian's swapping fish n' chips for tapas), but the heart of the idea is genuine and real and that's the important difference. I think this idea demonstrates how local fans worship their favorite players wherever they come from and there's no greater form of flattery in football than having a song created for you by the fans.

Here’s the song being sung on the terraces at a Liverpool match via a You Tube clip from someone’s camera phone…and here’s the spot itself.  Judge for yourself. Apparently even the dog walking with Torres in the park at the end is his own.

Since the epic Good vs.Evil spot from 1996, Nike has done a great job with its football ads, using stars from around the world to promote it's connection to the beautiful game. My mate James at AMV in London sent me a link to this latest spot, directed by Guy Ritchie, where we are transformed from being mere observers to actually being participants.  While other ads (and movies) have used the "protagonist POV" technique to engage and draw people in, this spot does so in a dramatically effective way - and does a fantastic job of showing first hand how fast, skillful and physical soccer can be. All the big names are there, Ronaldo, Rooney, Van Nistelrooy, Ronaldinho, but you are right in the middle of it, alongside them, rather than just outside looking in.  It's authentic, involving and different.  What do you think? (click the image to play)

Two posts on unleashing the power of design:

1. A fantastic quote by Mark Parker, the new CEO of Nike. Parker says, “I see myself as a champion of design. If you are just trying to be safe, you become everybody else.”

2. Another great tension: We are moving from a consumption economy to a creative economy. That does not mean we are ceasing to consume. The United States economy remains (and will likely remain for generations to come) driven by the consumption of goods. Consumption may fundamentally change — we’re already seeing the rise of the Luxury of Ethics reshaping consumption patterns — but it will not disappear. How will your company carve out a unique and compelling space between these two opposing values — marry consumer creation and commerce? Will you find an authentic way to compete in this changing marketplace? And will you really internalize this shift as a fundamental piece of your business model or will it be just another one-off promotion?

We’re experiencing a new renaissance. As Douglas Rushkoff points out, this one is based in holism and grounded creativity. We have the tools to express and hone our creativity, the media to network to a collective wisdom and marketplace, and a flattened world in which desire is one of the few remaining points of difference between parity brands.

To misquote Mark Parker, playing it safe makes you just like everyone else. How are you going to stand out? And how will you Design a brand solution? How far are you willing to go?