Nike promoted its new Epic React range in-store in China during March with a treadmill-linked video game ‘test run’ called ‘Reactland’ so shopper could try before they buy.
By hooking up a treadmill to a retro video game, Nike and its agency Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai enabled in-store shoppers a chance to try the new sneakers and star in their own Super Mario style retro game.
The Reactland initiative saw customers pull on a pair of Epic Reacts, climb on board a treadmill and then watch their own digital avatars run, leap and bound across a brightly coloured gaming screen as they racked up points whilst they tried out the new trainers.
The aim behind the gaming experience is to highlight the characteristics of the Epic React model: which has been designed with technology that Nike describes as ‘bouncy, soft, light and durable’.
Shoppers wishing to experience Reactland and the Epic React shoes were initially digitally scanned to create their own personal pixelated avatars, before stepping up to the treadmill to play the game on a giant screen in front of them.
As each shopper ran in the real world, their video game counterpart traversed a series of landscapes – passing dancing pandas and the Sphinx of Giza – and, using handheld controllers, the runners could jump obstacles and rack up points.
After their 8-bit Reactland experience was finished, players were each given a shareable 10 second clip of their game play to show off their personalised avatars and share across their social media outlets.
The game experience was available in select stores in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
Comment:
This fun and funky retro trainer shopper stunt aims to bring to life the shoe’s unique selling point to the consumer during a fun test run
And, as well as potentially offering a fun angle to the relentless gym experience, the initiative is consistent with Nike’s efforts to gameify sports experiences and its products.
Links:
Nike
https://www.nike.com/cn/zh_cn/
https://www.facebook.com/nike/
https://www.youtube.com/user/nike
https://www.instagram.com/nike/
Wieden Kennedy Shanghai
http://www.wk.com/office/shanghai
