Yesterday I wrote about the Sony Ericsson WTA tour and their need to connect with the casual tennis fan. I recommended they work on creating a Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe (DINU) that goes beyond the excellent tennis action they offer.
Also yesterday, Rob Walker, posted on a recent Nike ad featuring Tiger Woods that ran in conjunction with the recent concluded U.S. Open. Walker explains that the ad was seen by some as risky; if Tiger lost the ad could have flopped (Woods won the tournament). But Walker saw it differently:
“But — what if Tiger wins? If he does, surely the coverage will be all about his awesome mental toughness and so on. Just like in the Nike ad! In fact, the ad would seem like part of the narrative of the tournament, almost like real-life Tiger was taking his cues from the inspiring marketing campaign.”
Bingo! Nike created an ad that didn’t just run alongside the tournament, it complemented the narrative of the tournament. That’s the essence of the DINU concept. Now Nike his woven its brand, the Tiger Woods brand (and the difference between those two is, to borrow a Walkerism, murky) and the U.S. Open into one narrative for consumers. If you are invested in the U.S. Open, if you are invested in Tiger Woods then you are now invested in Nike. Here’s the ad:
Now, maybe you’re brand isn’t Nike, and maybe your spokesperson isn’t Tiger Woods and you may not be a sponsor of the U.S. Open, but the concept is still the same. Take the time to develop the back story, provide rich, vivid details and infuse your brand with emotion.
eyecube 