Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nike Partner on Their Largest Joint Marketing Partnership to Date With ‘Sports Change Lives’
For the second installment of its “Sports Change Lives” campaign, Dick’s Sporting Goods partnered with Nike Inc. to have 10 athletes reveal how sports have changed their lives. This effort — which features both Nike and Jordan Brand athletes — is their largest joint marketing partnership to date.
“We’re always talking with Nike, and we have a lot of shared values. As we talked about the first phase and the launch of our campaign around ‘Sports Change Lives’ [in March], we talked about our shared values and the opportunity to came up to partner,” Kate Fedishen, VP of global brand and category marketing at Dick’s Sporting Goods, told FN. “We definitely share a lot of the same commitments, the same passions around empowering athletes, making a positive impact through sport. We have a lot of great brand partners, but Nike felt like the right fit for being able to tell this message.”
The women selected for the campaign include WNBA Champion A’Ja Wilson, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Alex Morgan, gold medal-winning Olympic track and field athlete Athing Mu, 2020 No. 1 WNBA draft pick Sabrina Ionescu and 17-time Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden.
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As for the men, the athletes featured include 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, NFL wide receiver Davante Adams, college basketball player DJ Wagner, 10-time MLB All-Star Mike Trout and NFL running back Najee Harris.
“It’s an amazing roster of athletes at Nike and Jordan. We love the diversity of sport they represent, and even more importantly, they’re athletes that are passionate about sport and using sport as a mechanism to inspire the next generation,” Fedishen said. “We looked for athletes who had amazing athletic accolades and they also had amazing personal stories, they’re amazing people who are all about inspiring and giving back to the next generation.”
Although the look of the latest “Sports Change Lives” campaign is different from the first iteration, Fedishen said the intent and the purpose hasn’t changed.
“The first phase of our campaign that launched in March, the goal was to tell the story about the impact of sports and the ability of sports to change lives, whether it be character or the friendship sports provides, physical health, mental health. For this second phase in partnership with Nike and Jordan athletes, the goal and the message is the same,” Fedishen said. “The message is around sport changing lives and the goal is around inspiring sports participation, but the medium is different because of these amazing 10 world class athletes. What’s more inspiring to a young athlete today or to a parent who has a young athlete and then hearing these athletes talk about the role that sports has had on their lives?”
The second “Sports Change Lives” campaign iteration will launch this week with the debut of Anthony, Ionescu and Trout’s stories. These will appear in broadcast, online video and social media.
“I hope that young people watching this campaign feel inspired and encouraged to go out and accomplish whatever goal they set for themselves,” Anthony said in a statement. “The change isn’t immediate, it takes time, and though it’s a tremendous journey, with perseverance and the willingness to learn you can achieve great things. The most valuable lesson I learned during my time in the rec centers was how to stand tall, believe in myself, and stand strong to my beliefs.”
Dick’s Sporting Goods confirmed the remaining athlete spots will be released over the coming weeks. Also, behind-the-scenes photoshoot footage will be available exclusively for customers who connect their Dick’s Sporting Goods Scorecard and Nike Membership accounts. (The companies revealed a Connected partnership in 2021 that offers access to exclusive products, experiences and content.)
What’s more, the retailer confirmed each of the aforementioned athletes will choose a youth sports organization to nominate for one of its $75,000 “75for75” Sports Matter grants, which aims to provide youth athletes with greater access to play. The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation, through its “75for75” Sports Matter grants, will distribute more than $5.6 million in 2023.
The grants must fit within the foundation’s criteria. They must be either a 501c3 organization or public school that serves youth 18 years old and younger, and organized sports must be a part of its programming. Also, it must either serve under-resourced youth in a zip code with a poverty rate of 20 percent or more or a be a public school with at least 60 percent of students receiving a free or reduced priced lunch.
“Together with Dick’s, we are on a mission to champion and inspire athletes of all levels,” Chris Jones, VP of North America Nike Marketplace partners, said in a statement. “Our shared commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond the game, and together we can make a difference in the lives of all athletes.”
