/Nike US In-Store Communications Director
US Retail Brand Marketing - In-Store Communications Director (Nov 2004 - Apr 2008)
I led Nike's US in-store communications team in developing integrated retail brand marketing campaigns across all categories —Running, Basketball, Team Sports, Men's & Women's Training, Kids, and Sportswear, including brand moments —Olympics, Livestrong and launch of Nike+.
On May 23, 2006, I was in NYC watching Nike CEO Mark Parker and Apple CEO Steve Jobs announce their brand partnership to bring sports and music together to create the ultimate personal running and workout experience.
This event was a catalyzing moment for future Nike+ products, which included the Nike FuelBand and the eventual launch of the Apple Watch Nike+. Both products and partnerships fueled the growth of the Nike+ Run Club that would go on to redefine the running & fitness industries for the next decade.
Three months prior, I was asked to join the team responsible for bringing Nike+ to market. I was one of the handful of members who had worked for both Apple and Nike. With the partnership announcement and launch fast approaching, we had only a few weeks to develop the campaign visual center and hero graphic.
Collaborating with Apple and Nike cross-functional creative marketing teams led by Greg Hoffman and Hiroki Asai, I brought designer Jeff Zwerner into the group. I met Jeff at Apple, where he and his team designed and developed Apple product packaging. Steve and Hiroki respected and trusted Jeff immensely, and with only a few weeks to finalize a concpet that could meet both brand’s standards, I turned to Jeff to help us find the right solution.
After several attempts to create the ideal composition that communicated the core proposition while equally showcasing both brands' hero products, the Nike+ ZoomAir running shoe and the iPod nano, I watched in awe as Jeff drew out the concept for the now iconic image that Nike Creative Directors Michael Shea and Scott Denton-Cardew would go on to perfect with Portland’s Swanson Studio.
Jeff described how he saw the metamorphosis of this collab through the lens of a butterfly. The sneakers represented the butterfly’s wings, signaling movement empowered by the butterfly's body, the iPod nano. The butterfly’s antennae were created using the headphones that formed an infinity loop, signaling the endless possibilities the partnership between these two powerful brands —sports and digital lifestyle would fuel for generations.
