Making seasonal sales more Swoosh

Think ‘sales’, think red buttons, shouty language, relentless promotion. Think problem when shifting premium products. When Nike, one of our legacy clients, approached us and asked for a new visual identity for promos, we knew things needed to step up from the usual. 

At the heart of everything Nike does are its consumers, or ‘Members’. For Nike, promos aren’t about shifting stock, they’re about giving more people access to sport. However their existing brand language wasn’t telling this more emotive story. We wanted to create a system that felt premium, and could be used again and again throughout the seasons.

Moving people. Moving product. 

We started with Nike’s brand mission, ‘make people move’, and focussed our attention on creating something filled with kinetic energy. Assets were created to reflect the various seasons and products. Rendered in 3D, these icons could move and swirl, creating a kaleidoscopic effect. The choice of metallic colours and tones moved us away from expected ‘sales’ language and kept things premium. For seasonal specials, such as Valentine’s, the 3D palette adapts to include visual colour cues. This flexibility is essential for giving the system longevity.

The Results

The work has been designed to live boldly across all of Nike’s online and offline platforms, including nike.com, the Nike App, in film, in store and on advertising. The identity system was launched across EMEA to empower Nike’s busiest period of retail sales. The VC also achieved its aim of driving distinction between wider seasonal and more member lifecycle-specific promotions.