Nike Knit Giant Shoes in Real Time
By Don Ferguson on Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Nike’s latest ad campaign for “innovative Free Flyknit technology” sparked some equally innovative thinking on the PR front from their Chinese marketing department, in the form of some extreme knitting.
Working alongside associates Wieden+Kennedy and creative agency W+K Shanghai, a giant billboard of a bare foot was unveiled in the heart of Shanghai at the end of July, directly above the entrance to the city’s flagship store. On the 1st of August, a swarm of commuters and passers-by were then greeted by three ‘construction workers’ dressed head-to-toe in Flyknit fibres. As the trio dangled somewhere around the titan 2D toes, it was time for some giant knitting action.
Over the course of the next few-hours enormous reels of neon green thread were expertly stitched together and stuck to the adhesive panelling as the fearless craftsmen quite literally hand-knitted some trainers in real-time.
To top things off a mammoth Nike Free sole was then stuck to the bottom of the newly emerged trainer, whilst the city streets continued to bustle and onlookers gazed at what was occurring above them.
Not only did the elaborate publicity stunt hit the mark in terms of traditional media buzz in the days following, but what started as an innovative bit of billboard advertising was successfully cross-platformed across Nike’s social media channels and is well on its way to going viral – courtesy of the rather lovely time-lapse video below…
