The Campaign

From the lab to the streets, to the courts, to the clubs, to the people who made it their own. Nike made sneaker history. But in China, kids rocked the shoe, but didn't know the history behind them. Nike dropped knowledge with Sneaker Slam, a festival that defined Nike’s legacy through an online to offline genealogy exhibition, launched to empower kids to embrace Nike's legacy and create their own.

Creative Execution

The online to offline experience kicked off with a 3D WebGL mobisite, immersing kids in Nike’s storied past and visionary future. The schooling continued on-ground at Sneaker Slam Shanghai, bringing street ballers, beat makers, graffiti artists, and sneaker fans together to celebrate Nike’s most iconic shoes – voted by China’s sneaker elite. Each shoe’s story was projection-mapped on the godfather of it all, the Air Force One. Fans customised the AF1 by triggering their own beats and changing its colorways. The festival transformed kids from fans to fanatics. Inviting them to be a part of history in the making.

For kids in China, Sneaker Slam made the summer of 2015 unforgettable. It immersed them in Nike’s legacy, and invited them to be a part of history in the making. The mobile site raised the bar on engagement, averaging 4 minutes on time spent per user, doubling the industry standard. At launch, 4,500 fans spent over 30 minutes exploring the site – a record in Nike China’s history. On social media, Sneaker Slam expanded the Chinese sneaker movement. The hashtag #????# picked up 34 million impressions, increasing engagement to Nike by 112% compared to the previous year. 34MM - media impressions 45K - fans spent over 30min on the campaign site, the highest in Nike China’s history 4min - average time spent per user, doubling the industry standard

Our strategy was to create an online to offline event that celebrated the intersection of sport and culture. It was important that Sneaker Slam reached China’s rising generation on platforms and media relevant to them. Instead of creating a dry history lesson, Nike schooled kids in its legacy through an interactive SneakerVerse, brought to life through a 3D WebGL mobile site. It launched on WeChat, China’s biggest social app. For the festival itself, authenticity was key to reaching kids in China. The arena featured 10 animated films, Nike’s most iconic shoes, and an interactive Air Force 1 installation, all designed to make the experience hands-on. Outside the arena, Nike tapped into street culture to draw kids in. HipHop duo Hifana created the soundtrack. French streetwear label Pigalle hosted a streetball competition. Street artists Wu Yue and Krink painted a sculpture garden, and LeBron James gave a talk.