Not much else to say. I get the idea and kind of like it at a race you have to generally qualify for but maybe not everyone does. Are we seeing a repeat of whatever that brand was the got dragged for quoting one of the organizers saying “Boston is not a jogging race”? Anyway discus
Don't know about Boston, but a great sign to post at the gym with a limited number of treadmills!
Kind of a basic question here - why is a private company supposing the the right to serve as an event spokesman?
So Nike puts out a statement of who is welcome to the event and who is to be tolerated. Isn't that really presumptious? Isn't that overstepping their bounds?
Of course it is.
Which brings me to my point, and it is a point that so many posters here have expressed - it's just a lighthearted joke and not to be taken too seriously, for the most part.
I can geniunely see how people would be upset if this was an offical statement by the event organizers. It would be insensitive and inappropriate. But that is not what it is. And that fact is rather obvious, imo.
I see Jenny Simpson is getting in on the pearl clutching around this. Which brings us to the dumbest phase of these controversies, the people who probably don't even care about whatever supposed transgression there was, but they'll absolutely join the dogpile just for the clicks and clout.
The whole thing to me is indicative of how Nike has lost its edge. They used to have the best marketing campaigns ever. You watched a kick ass marketing campaign that was aspirational and maybe a bit exclusionary and it was Nike.
When is the last time we saw one of those?
I think the new CEO is trying to get the mojo back, but this one misses the mark. "Walkers tolerated" is just going to piss people off.
Some might argue that Nike back in the day had the slogan "Second place is the first loser" and it was negatively received. Is that one any different than this?
I think it is different. Nike still then was messaging it was for winners. I remember not really liking the "Second place is the first loser" but I got the message. Ultimately while I embrace the winners of the sport and running fast, the sport ultimately is about giving it your all.
Nike makes the best performance shoes on the market, the sponsor the best athletes on the planet, yet their marketing rarely shows it anymore.
How about "You earned this"? Then all the qualifiers would feel welcome and so would the charity runners. There is no other way to run Boston. It is exclusionary.
IP lawyers if someone steals my idea let this post be on the record as i came up with this idea.
But you know also what the old Nike wouldn't have done? Issued a statement apologizing for this. This was a nothing story and we have to apologize for it?
Get back to embracing being the best. Sell that message day in and day out
You (and others) have been punked.
“Say anything you like about me, but spell my name right..." — PT Barnum
I'm of the generation where to run Boston you had to qualify. No charity bibs. Pretty tough qualifying standards. And if someone had the jacket, you knew that they were a serious runner and had put the work in. So I kind of liked the slogan. But I realize that the world today is more about inclusivity, and so I'm not surprised by the backlash. It's weird that Nike didn't see this coming.
The whole thing to me is indicative of how Nike has lost its edge. They used to have the best marketing campaigns ever. You watched a kick ass marketing campaign that was aspirational and maybe a bit exclusionary and it was Nike.
I'm of the generation where to run Boston you had to qualify. No charity bibs. Pretty tough qualifying standards. And if someone had the jacket, you knew that they were a serious runner and had put the work in. So I kind of liked the slogan. But I realize that the world today is more about inclusivity, and so I'm not surprised by the backlash. It's weird that Nike didn't see this coming.
I had to run under 2:50 to qualify for 1982 Boston. I'm a runner, and I liked the poster. In my opinion, Wejo is wrong. Pissing some people off is one attribute of marketing with an edge. Moreover, it isn't a statement about Nike, it is a true statement about the Boston Marathon. It is a race for real runners.
Nike is free to put up any ad they want. Walkers are free to buy any shoes they want. This ad shows Nike doesn't care they if they lose walkers business.
I'm of the generation where to run Boston you had to qualify. No charity bibs. Pretty tough qualifying standards. And if someone had the jacket, you knew that they were a serious runner and had put the work in. So I kind of liked the slogan. But I realize that the world today is more about inclusivity, and so I'm not surprised by the backlash. It's weird that Nike didn't see this coming.
I had to run under 2:50 to qualify for 1982 Boston. I'm a runner, and I liked the poster. In my opinion, Wejo is wrong. Pissing some people off is one attribute of marketing with an edge. Moreover, it isn't a statement about Nike, it is a true statement about the Boston Marathon. It is a race for real runners.
I wasn't that critical. But if you're goal is to be edgy you don't think apologize.
So which lane are you in? If you don't think it's a big deal then don't apologize. I was just saying it was slighly off the mark.
The ad is fine if not funny. Boston already has a time limit so this fits with that vibe. As a society we have gotten way too soft in both running and being offended. We should never have allowed people to walk 5 and 6 hour marathons and claim that they "ran a marathon". Maybe no medals past a time limit.
The whole thing to me is indicative of how Nike has lost its edge. They used to have the best marketing campaigns ever. You watched a kick ass marketing campaign that was aspirational and maybe a bit exclusionary and it was Nike.
When is the last time we saw one of those?
Nike crushed it NYC marathon weekend. Billboards all along the course, but the pièce de résistance was the SI ferry with a Nike wrap parked in front of the statue of liberty. Everyone taking the ferry to the start got to see that one.
Definitely looked more like a Nike race than NB
Granted this isn't exactly "be like Mike" but it was an impressive showing.
I wasn't that critical. But if you're goal is to be edgy you don't think apologize.
So which lane are you in? If you don't think it's a big deal then don't apologize. I was just saying it was slighly off the mark.
No one even saw the apology, everyone just saw all the professionally offended influencers getting their pound of flesh out of the rage-bait.
They wanted to be cheeky and get some rage-bait engagement, and they did just that. There was nothing to gain by not apologizing at that point, they got their message out.
1) Maybe running the ad in the year 2026 was a mistake.
2) Apologizing for the ad was definitely a mistake. At most, you pull the ad and don't say a damn thing.
3) I never liked the "You don't win silver, you lose gold" in 1996 and like this even less. The whole point of this ad is seemingly to mock walkers. It should have just beensimply "Runners celebrated."
1) Maybe running the ad in the year 2026 was a mistake.
2) Apologizing for the ad was definitely a mistake. At most, you pull the ad and don't say a damn thing.
3) I never liked the "You don't win silver, you lose gold" in 1996 and like this even less. The whole point of this ad is seemingly to mock walkers. It should have just beensimply "Runners celebrated."
Ironically, if Nike was to offer a shoe deal with anyone of those marathon walkers, they’d be quick to sign.