The Day an Ad Agency Became the Product Itself / NIKE+ "FuelBand"

The problem

In 2012, the wearable device market was still in its early days. Fitbit and Jawbone were just getting started, and Apple was quietly eyeing the space too. Nike had already redefined "running" back in 2007 with Nike+ Running. Their next target was "all movement" — walking, dancing, even commuting, all turned into a single measure called "Fuel." What Nike handed to its longtime partner R/GA wasn't a brief. It was an entire vision.

The insight

The core idea was turning exercise from a special event into an everyday, ongoing thing. R/GA's Nick Law put it this way: "This isn't advertising. But it's what we should be doing." It was a project that seemed to symbolize an era where brands are judged not by what they say, but by what they do.

The idea

A band worn on the wrist. It converts your steps, calories, and active time into a single measure called NikeFuel. When you hit your goal, the band lights up green, and a character in the app called "Fuelie" grows. There's also a way to compete with friends. What started as little more than a circuit board with a USB cable, R/GA built out into a complete user experience. The agency embedded itself in the product development process itself.

What happened

At the 2012 Cannes Lions, it won two Grand Prix — in the Cyber and Titanium categories. The jury president said that Nike embodied its brand not through what it says, but through what it does. When it launched in the US, preorders sold out the same day. Production was discontinued in 2014, but that was because of a strategic shift toward the Apple Watch.

Afterthought

People have been saying for years that ad agencies will become unnecessary, but this case proved the opposite. R/GA wasn't just an agency to Nike — it was a partner. The device itself may be gone, but the idea that every movement counts still lives on our wrists today.

Awards

• Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2012

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