The Name

A good name will help to DTR (define the relationship). And defining the relationship requires defining boundaries and expectations. It’s less about 'What do we mean to each other’ and more about ‘What can we count on each other for?’

For Nike, at the core of this relationship lies the understanding that everybody is an athlete - which means putting sport at the middle.

After talking through the different options, we landed on Nike Experts. Sometimes the most obvious choice is also the best choice.

The Channels

Nike Experts serve athletes appropriately based on why they’re there and what the channel allows them to do. But the takeaway should be the same - anyone who comes to a Nike Expert should feel like they received advice and guidance from an expert.    

The Tone of Voice

We needed to ensure that Nike Experts made the people they served feel like athletes, not just consumers. To do this we created guidelines to ensure that the tone of voice felt human, athletic, and warm as opposed to robotic, corporate, and cold.

Robotic -> Human

Experts will offer up personal details about their own workout routines, especially when asked. While the member should remain the priority, it’s difficult to establish a relationship with a member if the Experts don’t share any details about their own experience.

Corporate -> Athletic

In order to stress a high degree of expertise and athleticism, Experts will nerd out on every product, no matter how basic or “simple” it might be in terms of functionality. A lot of thought goes into each and every design decision - Experts can play up these details to really sell products and help explain why Nike products are superior.

Cold -> Warm

Being too straightforward and direct can read as cold. When a member makes a request, Experts will be sure to affirm that ask and use it as a chance to make some kind of connection.

The Imagery

Previous imagery tended to be cold and intimidating. The straight faces and crossed arms that permeated previous images made our Experts seem unapproachable - exactly the opposite of what we want from services designed to be a resource for people to learn about and embrace sport.

To add a factor of approachability, we utilized subtle details like smiles and more open posture while still keeping the clean lines and darker colors that give each image an air of sensibility and a distinctly ‘Nike’ style.