Duncan Southgate’s Post

If winning isn’t for everyone, what does that say about Nike? I was inspired by the images of the Paralympics opening ceremony in Paris yesterday and am really looking forward to the events in the coming week. But I’m less certain about the new Nike "Winning is winning" spot for the Paralympics, which continues the 'winning isn't for everyone' theme: https://lnkd.in/edC7XZdW   There was much comment and debate about the first Nike Olympics ad https://lnkd.in/eEJgg4Y6 , including this quite stinging critique https://lnkd.in/eqG9rt4N from Fernando Desouches. For me this new execution is an improvement. The star of the ad is Bebe Vio, the Italian wheelchair fencer. With her voiceover replacing the somewhat scary Willem Dafoe voiceover of the first ad, this is more a celebration of victory than looking down on losers and also-rans. Without the “bad person” emphasis, this now feels like a better, clearer expression of the “winning isn’t for everyone” strapline. However, it still feels at odds with the Olympic and Paralymic ideals of determination, striving for excellence and encouraging people to be the best they can be. I’m still not sure it’s a great reflection of Nike’s own legacy. This doesn’t move me as much as classic Nike ads such as “Find your Greatness”.  https://lnkd.in/esG4AmpP But enough of my opinions, what does Kantar’s LINK AI testing tell us? Overall, LINK AI makes it clear that the ad is ok, but not a winner. The ad will generate decent Impact (61st percentile), because it’s quite enjoyable and fairly well branded as a Nike execution. But it’s less likely to persuade people to go out and buy Nike products in the short-term, and the long-term Power (48th percentile) and Affinity are both below average. I really hope Nike can turn this around. I’m a huge Nike fan. I cut my teeth on Nike as a kid, trained and competed in Nike shoes for many years, and am now proudly kitting my kids out in Nike too. Full transparency: I’m even a (very small) shareholder. So it will be fascinating to see where Nike takes this next. My concern is that however Nike execute “winning isn’t for everyone”, it doesn’t feel like a big idea which points the brand in the right direction.  At a time when inclusion is so important, does this really set the right tone? What do you think of the latest ad? And where should Nike go next, if they want to win consumers’ minds and money? #creativeeffectiveness #connectedcreativity #LINKconnects Jane Ostler Steve Silvers Giulianna Olson Emmanuel Chačatrjan Vera Sidlova Alyona Levitin Ecem Erdem Lynne Deason Dom Boyd Ben Whiston Claire Wotherspoon Jacqi Levy Irene Joshy

I can't really claim to be a dedicated follower of fashion. But I have been able to combine Kantar data from Brandz with our creative and media insights to compile some learnings on how fashion brands can grow through amplifying their meaningful difference. See what you think.....

Here's an excellent, balanced view from John McCarthy at The Drum on the recent Google "Dear Sydney" ad, including some lovely Kantar data and great quotes from Amanda Currell. Communicating the benefits of GenAI technology clearly isn't easy, even when the intent is good. Alyona Levitin https://lnkd.in/gCrEc7cH

Dear travel and tourism brands....... want some great tips on how to improve your creative effectiveness? Then check out this great article from Amy Houston at The Drum, with input from Kantar's Graham Staplehurst Ecem Erdem and Karine Trinquetel https://lnkd.in/eXAchGi9

This is a must-listen. Great insights on the role of gen AI in marketing from Elaine Rodrigo in conversation with Vera Sidlova.

Here's some great, practical Kantar guidance for optimising attention in creative. Great job Paul McClean.

Here's some superb new insights from Kantar's Paul McClean into how decoding both passive AND active attention can transform your creative effectiveness https://lnkd.in/gZNGZZWz

Here's an excellent potted summary from Jane Ostler of how Kantar's LINK AI solution helps marketers predict ad performance at unprecedented scale.

Do you want your ads to get from playback to payback? Kantar's latest insights into how attention impacts creative and media effectiveness show this relationship isn't anywhere near as simple as you might think. Check out my latest article based on new Kantar learnings I first presented last month at the Cannes Lions festival https://lnkd.in/egh5cGgd Steve Silvers Jamie Williams Jeff L. Herrmann Ecem Erdem Vera Sidlova Jane Ostler Jacqi Levy Cristina Noriega Ben Whiston Paul McClean Emmanuel Chačatrjan Hannah Walley

Really enjoyed this conversation with Joseph Arthur from Performance Marketing World about how AI and attention measurement are changing creative development and creative effectiveness. Hope you do too!