As far as the eye can see… this far.
That was the vision of John Brown, who just passed away this week. He was a marketing visionary who signed off on some of Nike’s iconic campaigns, the ones that still reek of the spirit of achievement. One of my favourites is from ’77. The ¨There is no finish line¨.
I was created by chance. Brown was hired to create a monthly article dedicated to one of the new shoe models that Nike was releasing, but in a month when no model was released, he ran out of topic to write about. Then they decided that he should write about something that made runners feel good and that’s when he created this nostalgic photo where the environment leaves a small spot for a runner. That photo with the famous phrase became a call for inspiration, a reward for effort, for dedication, for those who enjoy just running.
Nike began to receive letters of thanks from runners for the support that this campaign showed them.
Maybe it was at that moment when they understood that it was about much more than just shoes, it was about feelings. It was about feelings like the desire to improve, to want to be better, to understand that it wasn’t a sprint, or even a marathon, it was just about just running.
Some iconic advertising campaigns will remain in the memory, but I think it is also a call to look beyond, to explore where we are able to go with our dream. A shoe, a brand, a club, an organisation as in our case.
Advertising campaigns that go back almost 50 years, that’s big words. I don’t even think they thought at the time that it would have this kind of impact or influence, but there it is. I look at the photo and I can almost smell the trees on the side of the road.
I dream that we can touch people’s hearts, not millions, but that those we touch will remember it forever. Likewise, I also dream of continuing to build without looking at the clock, without looking at when it will end, without waiting for a finish line. That when we leave, others can continue the race.
Carlos Prieto.