Campaigns · India · 2016

Nike: Da Da Ding

Nike India celebrated Indian sportswomen in a high-energy film that challenged stereotypes.

By Maer Media editorial teamPublished 4 October 20263 min readWieden+Kennedy DelhiCampaigns · Influencer

Womenathletes at the centre
W+KDelhi
2016release
2016India · Campaigns
Brand
Nike
Market
India
Year
2016
Category
Campaigns
Agency or team
Wieden+Kennedy Delhi
Channels
Online film, social

The context

Women’s sport in India received little attention, and sportswear advertising mostly featured men.

The insight

Women athletes were underrepresented in Indian advertising.

The move

Wieden+Kennedy Delhi featured Indian women athletes, including actress Deepika Padukone, in a fast, rhythmic film set to the song “Da Da Ding”.

How it was executed

  1. Featured real athletes.
  2. Used energetic music.
  3. Cut it fast.

Nike India celebrated Indian sportswomen in a high-energy film that challenged stereotypes.

What happened Reported facts

The film was widely shared and praised for its representation. It became a cultural reference for women in Indian sport.

Why it worked Maer’s analysis

Representation and energy resonated.

What to take from it Maer’s analysis

  1. 01Give underrepresented customers the hero role.
  2. 02Music and pace can carry the message.
  3. 03Specific, real athletes beat generic models.
If you’re building in India

Indian brands can champion underrepresented groups authentically.

Where Maer applies this

The same thinking runs through these brand templates:

Sources: Nike India; Wieden+Kennedy Delhi. Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with Nike.

About the author

The Maer Media editorial team studies how brands are built, from positioning and packaging to launches and growth. Figures in each case study come from the public sources listed above; the analysis and the India notes are our own. More about Maer

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