CASE 21 / Nike / 2016
Da Da Ding
Make the desired identity visible through people doing the activity, rather than only saying everyone belongs.
AI-assisted research and analysis for the SNS Creative Fieldbook
Sources reviewed 2026-11-05
Campaign credits belong to the original creators. They did not write or endorse this analysis.
Credits: Nike and Wieden+Kennedy Delhi. Post Office Studios separately documents producing the campaign's animated lyric video; that is not a lead-film production credit.
Recognition: D&AD's 2017 Film archive records Wood Pencil recognition. The campaign itself launched in July 2016, according to Wieden+Kennedy.
Launch / edition: 2016. Award years: 2017.
The problem. The idea. The experience.
Nike and its agency wanted more women in India to see sport as enjoyable and empowering, and to encourage a broader conversation about participation.
How the idea came to life
The music video brought together athletes including Rani Rampal and Ishita Malaviya, actor Deepika Padukone and everyday women across different sports.
How it reached people
The agency describes online video and earned media coverage. Post Office Studios confirms a companion lyric video, showing how the musical idea extended beyond the lead film.
Supporting sources: Primary agency case → Primary production-partner case → Primary award archive →
Read the data in context.
The numbers below describe different kinds of outcomes. Their date, scope and reporting source are part of the result.
- Reporting period
- First 24 hours
- Scope
- Platform mix and deduplication not disclosed
- Evidence
- Agency-reported
Wieden+Kennedy reports three million collective views in the first 24 hours. The opened primary sources do not establish incremental sports participation, product sales or return on advertising spend.
The creative mechanism.
Music-led collective portrait + women in active sporting roles + supporting creative formats
1. Show identity through observable action
A positioning statement becomes more concrete when people can see the behavior it celebrates. For a new brief, ask what the audience should recognize about itself and which real actions express that identity. Avoid treating representation as proof that practical participation barriers have disappeared.
2. Give a shared idea several entry points
A musical concept can support more than one useful format, but every version needs its own role. A short introduction might invite discovery; a longer piece might reward attention. Plan accessible captions and descriptions, and test whether the brand meaning survives when the soundtrack is unavailable.
3. Connect inspiration with a feasible next step
Excitement can fade if the invitation asks too much. A smaller brand can pair aspirational storytelling with clear information about cost, location, equipment and beginner support. Measure whether interested people can actually act, not merely whether they praise the film or recognize a celebrity.
The intended behavior loop
- 01See people actively participating
- 02Recognize a possible identity
- 03Share or explore
- 04Find a practical invitation
- 05Try an activity
Growth job: Recognize an athletic identity → consider participation → seek an accessible next step. This is an interpretation of the mechanism, not an audited attribution model.
A direction to take into the room.
Original editorial interpretation and proposed adaptation. This is a proposed adaptation, not historical campaign execution or a forecast.
The transferable principle
Brief a film around visible participation and a credible invitation. Give real participants agency in how they are represented.
Keep these boundaries
Do not substitute a celebrity appearance for meaningful access. Secure participant and music rights, disclose partnerships and avoid implying that one aesthetic, ability level or body type defines an athlete.
Turn the lesson into a test.
Illustrative adaptation, not a historical campaign fact
A small-team experiment
A local sports club makes an original short film with consenting adult members, then invites viewers to a clearly described beginner session.
Build the test
- Ask members which barriers the invitation should address.
- Film genuine participation without copying campaign scenes or music.
- Create a captioned cut and a direct informational comparison.
- Show both to similar local audiences and track registrations.
Measure the right thing
Compare completed registrations, actual attendance and newcomer feedback. Keep view counts and celebrity interest separate from participation quality and acquisition cost.
Know when to stop
Pause if the story excludes intended newcomers, rights are unclear or demand exceeds safe session capacity.
How this reading fits your brief
Start with the useful part.
Best for: Making a participation invitation feel relevant
What to adapt: Study identity expressed through action.
Prerequisites: Authentic participants; Music rights; Accessible production; A practical next step.
Smaller-team route: A short original participant story can test the principle without celebrity talent.
Budget: Not established by the cited public sources. No cost-fit claim is made.
Trade-offs and evidence: Read the limits below before choosing a test. There is no guaranteed reach, sales lift or ROAS.
Questions for your next brief
- Who can see themselves in the story?
- Which obstacle remains after inspiration?
- What is the smallest credible next action?
Sources & further reading.
Brand and award-entry results are attributed claims, not independent causal audits. Source links open the original third-party pages.
- Wieden+Kennedy: Nike Da Da Ding →Primary agency case · Supports: July 2016 date, objective, participants, online/media distribution and first-day view claim.
- Post Office Studios: Da Da Ding →Primary production-partner case · Supports: Companion lyric-video execution and its production credit; not the lead film's production credits.
- D&AD: Nike Da Da Ding, 2017 →Primary award archive · Supports: 2017 Film recognition and the entrant's description of creative intent.
Independent educational analysis of external campaigns. These are not SNS client projects, endorsements or claims of involvement. Campaign facts and reported outcomes are attributed to their sources. Explanations, adaptations and test plans are original analysis and hypotheses, not proven causal findings.