Reebok's Wonder Woman Campaign Features COVID-19 Nurses, Gets it Super-Right
Marketing and PR in this moment in time can be hard. No plan or campaign can be conceptualized or launched without consideration for COVID, not to mention all the other pressing societal issues at-hand. And, since the start, brands have grappled with how, when and where to lean in or out on on pandemic-specific efforts, messages, allusions or associations. Many have fumbled the ball. So, it’s nice to see someone rock it right. Specifically, the Reebok team behind the launch of the brand’s Wonder Woman 1984 shoes and apparel.
The line pays ode to the film Wonder Woman 1984, the coming update of the film from DC Comics slated to release in December. The heroine-inspired Reebok gear, though, drops this Thursday. And the promotion of the product launch (as it goes in this world) has already begun. Be it partially planned, somewhat serendipitous or a complete last-second audible, the PR campaign supporting it is absolutely crushing it.
It features real-life heroes. In this case, nurses from Boston-area hospitals (where Reebok’s HQ is located) who are battling on the front lines of COVID-19. The effort has popped up everywhere for me — in my Instagram feed, on Twitter and across lifestyle and sneakerhead media over the past few days. This short video turns the spotlight on these IRL wonder women and reminds us what makes them so special.
As always, I love the simplicity. Someone smart determined that if we do something so many marketers say or aspire to do (use real, authentic people to connect), and we do it right, the product press will undoubtedly come along for the ride. They were right. Something also sang for me in the straightforward and simple design approach. The monochrome nurses uniforms. The strong poses. The ‘realness’ infused with a bit of heroine fairy dust. It all popped…in feed, online and while scrolling. The diversity of the nurses featured did not go unnoticed either. My only question is whether there is a charitable/proceeds component to this effort and merchandise sales. If not, seems like a miss.
Regardless, from a straight marketing perspective, the company’s description provided beneath the YouTube video says it all.
To launch the Reebok x Wonder Women 84 collection, we chose to honor the real-life wonder women of our time: Covid-19 healthcare professionals.
Enough said. Kudos, Reebok. Thank you, nurses.
Reebok: Available this Friday
