Nike Empower Forward
In 2022 Nike launched a social impact initiative aimed at supporting the Black community and advancing racial equity in alignment with Nike’s Black Community Commitment and Made to Play. As part of this initiative, Nike hosts an annual Juneteenth Week Celebration in New York City, which includes a series of events designed to bring people together, promote community building, and advance social justice.
Project Credits
Agency:
Second Melody
Illustrators:
Kelli Clark
Julian Alexander
Overview
Brand Identity
Campaign
Messaging Pillars
Strategy
The Brief
Nike's challenge was to create an impactful and meaningful event that would resonate with the local community and further the goals of their social community impact iniatives. The brand had to be engaging and inclusive, while also delivering on Nike's brand promise of innovation and excellence.
The Concept
Grit is perseverance and passion for a long-term goal. It’s courage and it’s resolve. We identified grit as a through line between athleticism, New York City, and the history of Juneteenth.
The Approach
Using grit as a basis, we developed a visual language that was organic in its composition and felt contributed to by many people over a long period of time— like a wall tagged with graffiti or a subway car covered in a collage of stickers and handwriting.
The Logo
Empower Forward’s primary typeface is VTC James by Tre Seals of Vocal Type. Inspired by the stenciled protest posters of the Civil Rights Movement, VTC James delivers an element of historical relevance while adhering to the overlining concept.
The Details
To bring an element of tactility to the brand work, we created a custom basketball texture using paint. This texture adorned all of the branded material.
The Result
In the inaugural year, Nike kicked things off with a nonprofit networking event, followed by a day of basketball and recreation, and topped it all off with a block party focused on self-care. And the best part? They worked with local nonprofits to make sure the events were inclusive and impactful for the local community.
In the following years, Nike expanded their Empower Forward events to Atlanta with Hack To Play, a one-day hackathon event. We collaborated with illustrators Kelli Clark and Julian Alexander to create the visual assets for the third year.
Empower Forward has been a huge success. Attendees and the local community have been blown away by the well-organized, engaging, and inclusive events. The brand created a memorable and impactful experience for attendees, while also promoting Nike's brand values and message.
