New Balance v Nike plus ads

Found this on Adverblog. Another great ad. It's interesting to compare the Nike+ ads and the New Balance one from my post yesterday. From an advertising viewpoint, both brands are doing nice work.

The difference for me is this.

New Balance are emotionally selling 'running' - the pain, the endurance and the joy of running. The link is that their shoes are good, and this will tip the balance in favour of the good stuff (and less of the pain). Nice idea and great link into their brand name. And is a credible claim for New Balance as they make good running shoes. As a idea it feels very similar to an earlier "A little less hurt" ad from Nike.

I could watch the New Balance ad and nod my head agreeing that yes, it is tough to get up in the morning. And yes, if I am going to run, I better get good shoes. And yes, I might consider New Balance when I start my research.

Nike, on the other hand, are not just selling 'running' - they are selling Nike+. Running can be lonely and a solitary experience, but not anymore with their Nike+ shoe range. When watching this, and if I buy into this idea, I'm thinking "I wouldn't mind getting a pair of those". Nobody else has this, so no more research, except to check Nike's credentials as decent running shoes.

This has little to do with advertising actually. I'd be very proud if I did any of these ads.

It's about propositions building brands. If I were interested in connecting with others while running, it honestly wouldn't matter what kind of advertising New Balance do.