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Nike Goes All-In On Soccer
Images courtesy of Nike // Illustration by Kate Walker
Nike is hyper-focused on leveraging the World Cup’s runaway success to mount a major business comeback.
The Big Play: Nike has been in a bit of a rut over the past few years, prompting a CEO change, a scaling back of unnecessary products, and plenty of public soul-searching. While the Swoosh has never been the leader in soccer footwear and apparel, surging American interest in the sport — along with its enduring global popularity — appears to be the sales opportunity it’s been looking for.
Behind The Moves: According to AdWeek, Nike’s six-minute World Cup film, “Rip the Script,” marks the beginning of a new era for the brand.
The spot, created by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy, features several top players — including Ronaldo, Mbappé, and Haaland — alongside celebrities like Channing Tatum, Kim Kardashian, and Travis Scott, plus Jason Sudeikis reprising his role as Ted Lasso.
The video has become Nike’s most-shared social post of all time and its most-watched post on YouTube and Instagram, racking up more than 1.5 billion views across platforms.
Nike says “Rip the Script” is the start of a new “universe” of content and collaborations, serving as a jumping-off point for character arcs across social media, athlete-backed product drops, and country-specific streetwear partnerships, like its collab with Palace in England.
The content is also designed to inspire creators to “clip it, cut it, or mix it,” giving Nike more opportunities to go viral and stay at the center of the cultural conversation.
Final Score: Nike’s World Cup marketing push is already translating into sales. According to data from M Science, the company has sold 2.5x as many kits as it did during the 2022 World Cup. Even if rival adidas still leads in US store sales this season, that’s a significant surge.
CEO Elliott Hill says Nike’s focus on soccer extends well beyond the World Cup: “We’re not treating the tournament as a single moment; we’re using it to reshape our business, telling a connected story over time.”
Future Goals: In the wake of the USMNT’s loss this week, much has been said about the US’s lagging youth soccer pipeline. Expect Nike to make a major push into that space as it aims to become the sport’s next dominant brand.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.