Nike

Built for the days others stay inside

Nike ACG had always been about durability. Gear built to handle whatever nature throws at you. But “durable” can sound boring. Functional. Like something you buy because you have to, not because you want to. We saw an opportunity to flip that. To make harsh conditions feel less like something to survive and more like something to embrace.

The insight was a shift in mindset. Most outdoor brands talk about protection. Staying dry. Staying warm. We wanted to go further. What if the gear was so good that you actually looked forward to bad weather? What if rain wasn’t a reason to stay inside, but a reason to go out?

I helped develop the “Enjoy the Weather” campaign for Nike ACG. We featured athletes doing exactly that—Lance Armstrong biking off-road through mud, runners powering through rainstorms, all of them looking like they were having the time of their lives. The TV and print work captured that energy. But we took it further with retail activations that simulated extreme weather so customers could actually feel what ACG gear could handle. Print ads juxtaposed indoor treadmills with stunning outdoor trails. The message was clear: why run in place when the world is waiting?

15% increase in ACG sales. 20% jump in retail foot traffic. 25% spike in online engagement as people shared their own stories of getting out there, no matter the forecast. A Silver Lion at Cannes. A D&AD Pencil. And a whole lot of people rethinking what “bad weather” really means.