What drives ambitious athletes? What keeps them moving? What shapes their sporting life?
To win in one of EMEA’s most critical markets, Nike needed to truly understand the next generation of German athletes. Our deep dive into performance runners and dedicated gym-goers revealed the opportunities for Nike to win with them. Listening through a market-specific lens from the youngest – and last – of the Gen Z cohort – we honed in on what makes them tick.
New insight into a changing sport and a new kind of runner
A new generation of trail runners is here. From just getting started to ‘trail is life’, they’re reshaping the sport on their own terms – in a sport that’s moving from the mountains to more accessible terrain.
As more runners than ever head off-road, this Europe-wide analysis identified what matters most when it comes to all things trail, helping ASICS stay ahead of the pack.
Why do we run? Who do we train with? What keeps us moving, and where do we want our journey to take us?
Consumer behaviour moves fast. This deep dive into Gen Z runners and gym-goers across EMEA uncovered their motivations, aspirations, attitudes, and emotions – allowing Nike to stay ahead of change, and connect more deeply with its Next Gen audiences.
the challenge
To leverage the power of the communities that had been authentically built by three Nike Well Collective Trainers, to show their communities how the foundational mix of strength, endurance and mobility (aka cross training) is a life-long tool for managing the stress of modern life.
the aim
To help people progress – maybe in big ways, maybe in smaller ones, but all creating a positive impact that started with the Nike Well Collective Trainers and rippled out right across their communities. That hit an objective of democratising cross training, by focusing on inclusivity, scalability and community.
CrossFit has generated a sense of belonging that even cult brands would aspire to emulate. By working out together – doing deadlifts, snatches, bar muscle-ups, and more – people report feeling that they’ve found a place that they belong. In this global campaign two athletes show us how moving from one training discipline to another has enables them to became stronger, more capable, and provided a renewed sense of purpose.
Women and girls may have been banned from playing for 50 years, but football is now their game of choice – for fitness, for exercise, for self-expression, for getting together. We captured the voices and experiences of amateur players across the UK in a podcast and insight report; revealing a supportive environment that prioritised having a great time together over competition.
‘It’s a Training Thing’ takes Umbro into another sphere – from the pitch and into movement for mental wellbeing. Following ordinary people who train to improve their mental state, the campaign follows a runner and a bodybuilder, who both use training as a form of self-development.