MARKING HISTORY

UPDATE
Last night the Cub's won the World Series. While nothing changed at the below mentioned retail locations, Nike did bring home their campaign, Make Someday Today, with the following ad. Kudos to Wieden + Kennedy and Nike for a great merging of creative and media celebrating a historic moment in sports.

It's been 71 years since a World Series game was last played at Wrigley Field. The cultural significance of this is on full corporate display in Chicago, and nowhere more prominently than along Michigan Avenue. Everything from the subtle:

Lighting design at Uniqlo

To the shameless:

Tiffany & Co.'s Atlas clothed in a Cub's jersey

For two of the most important companies in professional baseball (and two of the fiercest competitors for the North American sporting good dollar), however, the arrival of the World Series provides a once-in-four-generations opportunity to seize the moment and make a statement.

Nike and Under Armour’s flagship stores are a mere two blocks from each other, so we decided to check in and see how they marked and marketed the event. Turns out, not so well.

Under Amour

600 N. Michigan Ave.

Under Amour has been a Cubs marketing partner since 2007. Its logo lives on the outfield doors and is embedded in the iconic centerfield ivy. In 2014, UA signed a multi-year naming rights agreement for the workout facility at Cubs Park in Mesa, AZ, where the Cubs spend a couple months during Spring training.

As a long-time partner, UA can rightly claim to be above the bandwagon set. So how did they market history? They kept it simple. They celebrated the fan and the city. The tag line — FLY IT HIGH — is a call to action to support the Cubs without reservation and without condition.

Noble sentiments, but the execution came down to a few big "W"s flown around the store. UA could and should have done more with the moment and opportunity. It will probably be another 70 years before they get to celebrate their relationship with the "Loveable Losers" again.

Nike
669 N. Michigan

Nike is not an official sponsor of the Cubs, the team, but it is a high-profile sponsor of many of the key Cubs players.  John Lester, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo, to name a few, wear Nike on and off the field.

Not surprisingly,  therefore, Nike’s retail marketing approach focuses on the players and the impact they can have on the game. The tag line, MAKE SOMEDAY TODAY, is a call to action for athletes everywhere to seize the day. It leverages the moment in order to transcend it.

Nike has backed up that CTA with inspirational copy that finishes the point for those who might have missed it. The Cubs, you see, are a metaphor for us to embrace and remember. Whatever  must-win situation we are facing, Today is our Someday.

As is their want, the two companies have approached the opportunity from two extreme ends of the spectrum. But we give them credit for playing to their strengths.

UA made it about the team and the city. Nike made it about them and theirs. UA lacked subtlety (go figure), while Nike obsessed the design details. UA, originally a base layer brand, continues to be about supporting athletes, missions and teams. Their newest push into fitness apps and wearable technologies reinforces this point. They are in business to be an integral part of others’ success. Nike, on the other hand, remains focussed on individual success, and they will continue to leverage cultural moments to elevate and celebrate that. Why not? It's worked for them so far.

Each approach has merits, but the execution in the end, turned out less than inspiring. A "W" and one case and some second surface vinyl in the other. Should we have expected more? It's not often that two iconic brands have the historic and cultural attention of a city. Unfortunately, neither did much more than hit weak grounders back to the pitcher.