Is it the independent test that says Nike‘s new black golf balls, One Black, have greater initial velocity and distance than any other PGA Tour-level ball tested, or is it simply marketing buzz, Nike’s brand and a new color?
One golfer paid $215 for a single One Black on eBay to have it prior to its mass release this week.
Better performance golf balls in the past did not receive this much media coverage, so was it a simple act of turning your standard white golf ball black? (even if it was done before, Nike seems to be getting the credit).
The Nike marketing machine is alive and well. They’ve had “The It Factor” since those magical three words: Just Do It. With Nike, it’s not about sports merchandising. It’s about empowering the individual to be their best. When you wear a pair of Nike shoes, does it make you run better than Adidas?
As David Ogilvy said: “Give people a taste of Old Crow, and tell them it’s Old Crow. Then give them another taste of Old Crow, but tell them it’s Jack Daniel’s. Ask them which they prefer. They’ll think the two drinks are quite different. They are tasting images.”
For Nike, it’s brilliant in its simplicity and complexity – that’s what great marketing is all about.