Several case study examples of innovative marketing campaigns that targeted millennial sports enthusiasts are Rule Yourself and Sport the Unexpected, both of which innovated with their creative execution, and by leaning heavily into known millennial preferences for authenticity, inspirational themes and '90s nostalgia.
RULE YOURSELF
SPORT THE UNEXPECTED
RULE YOURSELF
- The Rule Yourself campaign was launched by sports company, Under Armour, in the "spring of 2016," and was then "pushed again" throughout social media channels before the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
- The advertisement featured American swimmer, Michael Phelps, who commented that the videos "showed exactly how I prepare."
- This extremely "authentic" portrayal, as well as how the campaign evoked a feeling of "inspiration," were two key ways in which the advertisements were both innovative as well as appealing to the campaign's target audience of male millennials and sports enthusiasts "between the ages of 18 and 34."
- According to VP of Marketing and Insight at Unruly, Devra Prywes, Rule Yourself's authenticity as well as inspirational messaging created a "strong reaction in millennial males," who are known to "lose trust in a brand" in its advertisement comes across as "fake."
- Marketing trade, AdWeek, further commented that the campaign hit the "right emotional chord" with
it's intended audience, which can be challenging even under ideal circumstances. - Ultimately, Rule Yourself's innovative characteristics led to tremendously high engagement, making the ad the "second most shared" video during the 2016 Olympic Games, as well as the "fifth most shared Olympic ad" ever.
SPORT THE UNEXPECTED
- The Sport the Unexpected campaign was launched by sports brand, Reebok, in March of 2019, and was disseminated widely through social, digital, TV and other traditional channels.
- Specifically, the Sport the Unexpected campaign was comprised of a series of ads, including Storm the Court and Back Where We Started, all of which advertised Reebok products by highlighting the company's history.
- Notably, this campaign stood out and innovated in the way that it "taps into '90s nostalgia," using "quirky, off-kilter creative" such as a "bizarre dance" sequence to revisit its past.
- Additionally, the products featured in the ads were themselves throwbacks, including "old-school shoe models" like a new version of the Reebok Aztrek Double, which was launched originally in 1993, and the "Reebok classic" Club C shoe.
- According to
advertising trade , Marketing Dive, Reebok used these outside-the-box videos and product reintroductions to "stake out a larger share" of millennial and Generation Z customers interested in sports and sportswear. - Meanwhile, although the results of the campaign remain to be determined, YouTube videos of Back Where We Started and Storm the Court have received
significant engagement , boasting 2 million and 700 thousand views respectively, while Reebok's early postings on Twitter and other channels also were widely viewed.
Describe the audience need instead of a generational shortcut
The campaigns above are historical cases, and nostalgia or authenticity is not a preference shared by every person in a generation. A creative interpretation needs evidence about the actual audience and setting. Separate what the campaign depicted from why the writer believes it worked.
For a hypothetical sports campaign, choose a fan activity such as training, attending or sharing a match. Test whether the message helps that activity feel relevant and whether the intended group understands it. Compare a meaningful response with the cost and reach. A demographic label should guide a research question, not substitute for one.
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