In the first half of 2018, despite the fact that Nike was continuing its long run as the leading sports brand in America, warning signs were emerging: revenue growth and key brand equity measures were slowing, and relevance to a new younger generation was weakening. So while Nike had much reason to feel good about its overall performance, it wanted to use the 30th anniversary of “Just do it” in 2018 to make the brand even more relevant and distinctive.

Based on Nike’s healthy position, our challenge was clear: connect with a new generation of youth in a truly unprecedented way. We also knew from over 30 years of creating Nike brand communications that in order for the brand to resonate with the audience and popular culture – and drive business success – we would need to authentically stand up for athletes based on the potential issues they were facing and experiencing, and especially how they were inspiring and challenging society as a result.

We knew from ongoing research with Nike athletes that sport didn’t just help them realize their athletic potential, but their potential in life – that no matter what obstacle is in front of them they could not just prevail, but actually have a bigger, positive impact on society overall. This understanding of athletes that rang especially true in early 2018 as the country experienced cultural and racial tension, led to the main insight: sport empowers athletes to change not just their own world, but the world around them.

This insight then led directly to the creative idea, “Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they are crazy enough. Dream Crazy.”

On August 31st, we first executed the creative idea in a tweet from Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin: “Who would ever think a kid like me would go pro? Me.” Then, on Labor Day, September 3, Colin Kaepernick tweeted, “Believe in something. Even if you have to sacrifice everything.” Other Nike athletes such as Serena Williams and LeBron James then tweeted their support.

Then, on September 6, the day before the NFL season opener, we released a 90 second anthem film on social media platforms YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. The film then ran the next day during the opening NFL game with 19 million people watching. The film reaches its peak when at its end Colin Kapernick says, “So don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough” against the backdrop of the American flag.

At the same time the film and social launched, we revealed OOH executions in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. These executions ranged from big “impact” locations such as station dominations to digital screens to Nike storefront takeovers. We also revealed OOH executions in the home areas of Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco) and Serena Williams (Compton).