Situation: Many creative people live double-lives. By day, a 9–5er; by night, a creator working on something that matters to them. But oftentimes, these creators are left working alone —with no facilitation or even anyone speaking their language. As Originals set out to launch Nite Jogger, their sneaker geared to this late-night creator, how could we create meaningful impact in their lives?

Brief: Break the category playbook of sneaker launches, proving that we understand this niche audience, while building hype for the sneaker.

Objectives: Create hype for the upcoming Nite Jogger. Launch our brand POV.-Ingrain ourselves deeply into sneaker culture.-Break the category playbook of sneaker launches to create something sneakerheads have never seen before.-Amplify the creative storytelling of the sneaker’s positioning: “It’s never too late.”-Reach sneaker culture’s most relevant titles and authenticators.

Rather than creating a traditional campaign, we created an entirely new brand: NITE GOODS. A provider of products and services designed to fight the number one enemy of late-night creativity: sleep.

GO TO BED, SNEAKERHEAD: the anti-bedtime story.

NITEBEAR: A pep-talking teddy with the voice of Eric André.

NITECHAT: A late-night helpline.

RATHER THAN ADVERTISING THE SNEAKERS THEMSELVES, WE CREATED FULL CAMPAIGN ECOSYSTEMS AROUND THESE PRODUCTS.

-Wild-postings and targeted teaser films announced the products, teasing the location of activations and the phone number.

- The Nitetime “Bookstore” rolled out, when bookstores rolled their bookshelves in.

- A social-first version of the story aired on @kickposters’ and Fabian Gorsler’s Instagram channels.

- A claw machine for NiteBear offered creators a chance to win “a nighttime supply of pep talks.”

The late-night creator is made up of multiple demographics, ranging from ages 16–30, but united by one theme: by day they’re one thing, by night another —a photographer, a painter, a music-maker, and more.Yet for so many of these creators, their work is done in isolation. With no brands speaking their language, much less doing anything meaningful for them.So we set our sights on the tastemakers in the sneaker world —the sneakerheads —and created NITE GOODS and the surrounding campaign elements based on their wants and needs. Using their influence to tap into the broader Originals’ demographics by leaning on their social behaviors of posting and talking about the brands and launches that speak to them most.

To reach our core audience of sneakerheads (and their influence beyond), the NITE GOODS brand needed to start with the products.

So we partnered with the creators that could make them iconic: from @kickposters to Eric André himself.

Then, we went guerrilla:

Tease PhaseAnnouncing the products and where to cop them.Engage PhaseWhere our activations hit the streets.

Reward Phase: Where we continued highlighting the brand, with social versions of the book, a kit that only opened after dark seeded to relevant influencers and YouTubers, and the chance to win the full kit online and in-store.

PLACEMENT: The activation dominated downtown NYC, where our audience spends their late nights. With wild postings appearing across seven key neighborhoods and activations taking place on some of the most highly-trafficked streets in the city: Prince & Mulberry, and Broome & Broadway.

SCALE: NITE GOODS was an NYC-exclusive activation.

TIMELINE3/25–4/07

Taking an innovative approach to advertising meant we didn’t just shout at our audience —we fundamentally added to culture itself.

?93% increase in impressions on @adidasNYC Twitter.

?+6.4M outdoor impressions.

?+37M earned impressions online.

?+10,000 entries to win the full kit.

?With lines forming +7 hours in advance —for a sneaker that wasn’t even released yet.

?What started as free products, were listed on eBay for up to $12,500 —almost 100x more than the sneaker itself.