NFL Players Get Down And Dirty For Nike Pro Combat Gear

Adrian Peterson in "Alter Ego" Pro Combat TV spot for Nike.September 11, 2009: Nike takes a "War is Hell" attitude for its new campaign, “Prepare for Combat,” to support its Pro Combat line of padded protective undergarments. The gritty effort features several NFL stars, including Adrian Peterson, Brian Urlacher, Justin Tuck and Steven Jackson, who are shown thriving in the most unfavorable of conditions due to the attributes of Pro Combat.

Nike is an authorized footwear supplier to the NFL but not an official apparel partner, a category under the auspices of adidas division Reekbok. So Nike is literally is doing an end-around to get as close to the action as possible. In a black-and-white TV spot starring Peterson, "Alter Ego," the all-pro running back is seen not in his Minnesota Vikings uniform supplied by Reebok but one adorned with the Nike "swoosh" as he runs over, around and through an opposing team in a driving storm en route to scoring the game-winning touchdown. In the locker room, he removes his uniform to reveal his Pro Combat gear, which appears to have morphed onto his skin from head to toe.

Adidas supplies the NFL with TechFit, a line of high-end  performance compression undergarments, as well as the NBA, where Nike also has used Pro Combat to go head-to-head with its rival without official apparel supplier status.

The Nike spot, breaking during NFL Kickoff Weekend, will run for several weeks on network and cable including ESPN, ABC, Fox, NBC, NFL Network, MTV and BET. Support includes print with the tagline “Victory Won’t Come Find You. You Must Seize It," as well as Internet and outdoor in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York and Chicago. Lead agency is  Wieden + Kennedy, Portland.

The campaign comes at a time when exclusive contracts with the NFL such as Reebok's, which began in 2002 and runs for ten years, is being challenged in court by American Needle, which formerly had an apparel licensing deal with the league. American Needle in 2004 charged the NFL with unlawful restraint of trade and violating antitrust laws. American Needle lost the case in district and federal appeals court, but saw the case move to the U.S. Supreme Court when the NFL, in an effort to win total immunity from all forms of antitrust actions, supported American Needle's motion. The case is due to be heard by the Supreme Court during the next session, which begins in October.

“This is an exciting time in the sports calendar, the kick-off of the football season,” Ken Dice, Nike’s svp-marketing for North America, said in a statement. “The campaign captures the energy, power and speed of football. We put a spotlight on our new Nike Pro Combat protective gear which can help athletes on all levels become a more dominating force on the field."

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