NIKE RUN CLUB
GAmifying the NYC running experience
Right after the NYC Marathon, the city is buzzing about running. Two weeks later, winter hits and that energy disappears. The challenge was turning casual runners into committed Nike Running Club members before the momentum died.
The truth: New Yorkers run through brutal conditions every single day—and it gives them unmistakable pride. The opportunity: validate the running they're already doing, then reward them for keeping it up. We built a campaign that started with tangible incentives—free gear for logged miles—and evolved to celebrate the deeper reasons people keep running.
campaign creative
SYNOPSIS
MY ROLE
Creative strategy
Campaign planning
Messaging strategy
Participation mechanics
Ecosystem strategy
RESULTS
↑ Membership
20%
App installs
10K+
Member registrations
5K+
CAMPAIGN MECHANICS
We created "A New York Mile"—a series of real runs through the city that ended at Nike stores, where runners could trade their miles for rewards. The campaign lived across all social channels, in-store displays, and inside the NRC app itself. Early creative focused on the campaign mechanic: RUN → REDEEM → REPEAT.
As runners built the habit, messaging shifted from extrinsic rewards (e.g. Nike Beanie) to the intrinsic rewards (e.g. runner’s high). Micro-influencers showed how they participated, and app-based triggers kept momentum going after every completed run.
