The phrase "in these uncertain times" has quickly become a laughable cliché for the seemingly pointless (and, honestly, interchangeable) brand messages suddenly being put out to convey solidarity with consumers in quarantine.
My colleague Doug Zanger put it best on a call yesterday when he referred to these quickly produced, sincerely voiced-over ads as "scoops of vanilla."
I don't blame brands or their agencies, per se. They feel like they need to say something. And something is about as much as they tend to say. Car companies want you to know they're still with you, even when your car's in the garage. Realtors want you to know they're still with you, even when you're not house hunting.
I guess we should be glad they're with us and not...against us?
But today Nike yet again put on a clinic for how brands can connect with and speak to their audiences, even audiences that span the globe and countless athletic interests.
"You Can't Stop Us" from Wieden + Kennedy Portland compiles footage of star athletes and amateurs alike, working out however they can in the space they have available. If you've pushed furniture aside for pushups or accidentally knocked over an ironing board while shadow-boxing, you'll see yourself reflected in the spot.
The ad's understated accomplishment is in removing the brand from the message of unity and instead focusing on the unity itself.
We are all together in this moment. We are all facing the same obstacles. We are all working through it.
And for what feels like the first time ever, we're all on the same team.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
