Nike, please stop dressing EVERY runner in a race in the same singlet

Nike has a recognizable logo that they don't mind slapping on everything else. They don't make their sponsored basketball players all wear the same color way sneakers. But for some reason, they want their runners to look like Nike automatons.

rupp-certified saladbar wrote:

Just watching some Diamond League footage from Doha and Shanghai and am annoyed to see that Nike is still doing this. In terms of promoting the sport, dressing every athlete in a race exactly the same is about as dumb as it gets.

Agreed.

It's boring to watch, makes it difficult to tell who's who in the race, and makes the corporate aspect of the sport far too explicit.

There's a reason ESPN makes athletes wear their uniforms for "This is Sportscenter" commercials. Their uniform is their identity. I'm sure big name stars in the popular sports would be missed from time to time in street clothes.

1/10

A know a few of you claim you don't buy Nike because of this uniform issue, or because their color ways are "ugly," but Nike is by far the most recognizable brand in the running world (for better or for worse) and a majority of people will buy Nike because its Nike. They know what they're doing, and know they're not going to please everyone.

And as far as their colors being "ugly" or an "eye sore," Nike creates the trends in the running industry on the fashion side. Whenever Nike creates a certain look, it hasn't been done before and looks strange to a removed observer. But this is what people will buy because its Nike, and it will become the thing to wear and every other company will copy it.

Where can the blue Nike tops ,as seen on nike elites, be purchased?

I noticed a few field athletes wearing blue nike t shirts in recent diamond league meet in China. Are the new blue t shirts available to the "masses" .

There was a period in the early 1980's when Nike elites wore special shoes and equipment(ie Athletics west) not available to the public. At some point whether it be basketball player or T&F athletes that policy was changed . I recall reading that Nike came to a conclusion that ,from a marketing standpoint, Their elite athletes should be wearing the same gear as what is available to the general public. It would appear they have gone back to old policy?

i remember about ~6-7 years ago the world marathon majors had the elites where different singlets, even if they ran from the same company. (do they still do this?) boston also had americans wear USA uniforms for a couple years. the idea was for fans to be able to differentiate between the athletes. the returning champ would have a yellow singlet, others would have different colors and/or a stripe across the front. i also remember bekele having the gold and black nike singlet after he won the olympics (like farah had last year). if they did something like this, that'd be great.

and for those that said we should be able to buy singlets of the elites, i totally agree. not that i want to rock a geb singlet to the grocery store, but some might like to run in one.

OTC Uniforms, Oregon project uniforms, etc make it a lot better. unfortunately not every group has athletes that are all sponsored by one brand.

How hard would it be for Nike to just have these jerseys. If you train in the eastern side of the country, you get one jersey (Lets say red) and if you train on the eastside you get , lets say blue. Heck, maybe add two or more to get the North and South. That way when an observer watches track he can see a clear competition, not only between the athletes, but between two or four different teams.

As far as how to differentiate between other countries, you could just split them up into halves or quarters as well and give them the same jersey. Red being east (America, Kenya, Ethiopia, Europe etc.), blue being west (America, Kenya, Ethiopia, Europe etc.) Green being North (America, Kenya, Ethiopia, Europe etc.) and yellow being the south (America, Kenya, Ethiopia, Europe etc.)

Not sure if what I said makes sense. But just an example.

never went back wrote:

two bills wrote:

So, you noticed all the top athletes in these races are running for and wearing Nike products. Isn't that what branding is supposed to do...make people aware of the company?

If you had 10 athletes wearing 10 different singlets, would you notice the brand as much? Maybe, maybe not. As much as people complain about this, Nike knows branding (probably more than anything else they do), so I'm guessing what they do is the most effective way to advertise itself.

It annoys the hell out of me. It makes me just NOT want to buy Nike.

For those annoyed by the tactic, so much that it urges you NOT to want to buy the product, step outside your self-serving world and realize large companies don't care much about you--those most engaged in the sport

Nike isn't trying to pull in the hardcore track geeks like you (and me). You probably know the best shoes/equipment from several companies, so you're not going to be swayed much by what someone wears anyway. Nike is targeting the mass appeal. Stupid kids and casual observers will see 15 of the 20 athletes racing in Nike gear and gravitate towards that brand because they see most of the top athletes wearing their logo.

Besides, if you don't want to buy product from a company just because of the singlets they have their athletes wear...wow...get a grip. There are bigger things in this world to get worked up over.

two bills wrote:

For those annoyed by the tactic, so much that it urges you NOT to want to buy the product, step outside your self-serving world and realize large companies don't care much about you--those most engaged in the sport

Nike isn't trying to pull in the hardcore track geeks like you (and me). You probably know the best shoes/equipment from several companies, so you're not going to be swayed much by what someone wears anyway. Nike is targeting the mass appeal. Stupid kids and casual observers will see 15 of the 20 athletes racing in Nike gear and gravitate towards that brand because they see most of the top athletes wearing their logo.

I think what really happens is that casual fans would be even more frustrated because they would have even more trouble telling the athletes apart, which means that they would just change channels or decide that track is boring.

Casual fans probably don't even notice who is wearing Adidas and who Nike as the logo is small

If they are targetting the mass market would not not be better making the athletes look good in what they are wearing?

I don't think you're necessarily wrong, but I have no idea why Nike gives its athletes all the same jerseys and most of the same spikes - but doesn't sell the jerseys and doesn't make the spike color ways available for regular runners. Most runners will never buy spikes.

I don't really get what Nike is doing.

Just watching some Diamond League footage from Doha and Shanghai and am annoyed to see that Nike is still doing this. In terms of promoting the sport, dressing every athlete in a race exactly the same is about as dumb as it gets.[/quote]

If you want variety watch Oregon football[quote]rupp-certified saladbar wrote:

sjq wrote:

i remember about ~6-7 years ago the world marathon majors had the elites where different singlets, even if they ran from the same company. (do they still do this?) boston also had americans wear USA uniforms for a couple years. the idea was for fans to be able to differentiate between the athletes. the returning champ would have a yellow singlet, others would have different colors and/or a stripe across the front. i also remember bekele having the gold and black nike singlet after he won the olympics (like farah had last year). if they did something like this, that'd be great.

That kind of system has worked well for cycling for ages now- every jersey on a team has the same easy to identify sponsor logos, but you get a special jersey color scheme if you're a defending world champion or the national time trial champion of Whocaresastan or the most recent winner of some other major event.

Here's an idea. Instead of complaining that Nike athletes are indistinguishable from one another, how about you complain that other shoe companies aren't ponying up some cash and sponsoring more athletes. Don't hate on Nike for creating brand recognition; hate on all the others for being cheap.

Also, for Nike, it's not about the athlete, it's about the brand. And for the athlete, it's about the pay check. And for the spectator, it's about the finish. I'm not exactly sure what this thread is even about. you're all delusional. start thinking about the big picture. what.

two bills wrote:

Besides, if you don't want to buy product from a company just because of the singlets they have their athletes wear...wow...get a grip. There are bigger things in this world to get worked up over.

Nobody is getting worked up. Well, it sounds like you are, but nobody else.

I guarantee if you ask some guy who was flipping channels and came across the Diamond League, he will have no clue who sponsored Asbel Kiprop. He WILL know, though, that a bunch of guys he couldn't tell apart were running in circles in the same outfit, and that he changed channels after 60 seconds of this.

I really think that things like a yellow jersey for DL points leader, gold for reigning OG/WC champ, national colors for everyone else would be more interesting for both hardcore fans and the general public Nike and the IAAF, etc, should be trying to pull in.

It just seems like they have no imagination ever, beyond showing up at the meet hotel with 30 matching singlets. It's pathetic.

I think the "yellow jersey" idea to distinguish points leaders, reigning champs, etc is awesome.

People get behind sports when they feel like they know the individuals involved... anything to make the competitors more unique and less like no-names with the same jersey is a step in the right direction for the sport... but this interferes with the image you see of team nike leading the pack on the final lap.

How would you sell this idea to the sponsors (nike)?