Maintain Nike’s position as the number one sports brand amongst urban youths.Freestyle encourages teenagers to create their own ‘moves’ by fusing street sport with music. Nike run a series of Freestyle events across the UK, where teenagers participate; and compete to be crowned the Freestyle champion. We had to make ‘Freestyle’ a teen phenomenon. Key Insights. Some teens would be hungry to prove they’d got moves and get famous for it. Others would want to see the action and influence it. We felt television would increase the significance and excitement around Nike Freestyle. It also excels as storytelling. The Search For The UK Freestyle King. We used TV to create a story and encourage mass participation. We developed a partnership with MTV which exploited every element of the viewer relationship.

Three million experiencing the story, 270,000 documentary viewers, over 24 hours of TV programming aired (free), 200,000 iTV viewers, 30,000 event attendees, 20,000 votes cast, 45 PR hits, one king.

Once the television documentary had created interest around Freestyle, we promoted The Final Face Off - the ultimate Freestyle competition on MTV. The proposition was integrated across online, press, retail and TV. Nine spots told the story. The first three drove attendance to seven Freestyle Face Off events where kids showed off their ‘moves’. The promise of fame through TV generated 30,000 attendees.Four finalists entered the Final Face Off, showing their moves in their own film on MTV. Viewers voted for the best moves via SMS and at mtv.co.uk. Each film was interactive with a unique four way split screen. Voters received a personalised text from the finalist.

With 20,000 votes cast, Abbas Farid took the crown. His coronation was announced in-store at Niketown, in a film on MTV, in an outdoor campaign around his home town - and generated 45 PR hits.

To tease our urban youth audience stickman stencils appeared at basketball courts and on TV ads. To inspire we created an advertiser-funded programme - Freestyler Face Off - a one hour documentary on MTV, telling the story of four UK Freestylers’ journey to NYC for a face off of skills against four New Yorkers.