In the aftermath of the pandemic, with restrictions lifted and daily life inching back to normal, Nike came to us with a challenge: how do we encourage customers who’d grown comfortable shopping from their couches to come back into Nike stores? 

We started where the real answers usually live - with real people. We spent time with Nike’s in-store staff across markets and quickly uncovered something compelling. These weren’t just sales associates. They were athletes, enthusiasts, and brilliantly passionate storytellers. Their knowledge was personal. Their energy was infectious. And crucially - they embodied the Nike brand in a way no website ever could. The real reason to return to Nike stores wasn’t just to try on shoes. It was to meet someone who understood your goals, your sport, your hustle.

Ask Our Athletes was born. A global platform that flipped the script - shining the spotlight not on celebrity athletes, but on the in-store ones. We invited Nike’s retail team to co-create the campaign with us. They chose the stories. They picked the places that shaped them - from local courts to personal gyms - and together we captured authentic narratives rooted in expertise, passion and community.

‘Ask our athletes’ ran across social, the Nike app, Nike.com and in-store media, was adapted for 27 markets, saw 35 million impressions and showed that sometimes the most inspiring athlete in your world… is standing just across the counter. Nike Direct sales increased 15% from 2021 to 2022, with store sales growth of 10%.