Julius Young — Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Vantage
Jacquemus. Virgil Abloh Archive. Palace. Kids of Immigrants. The campaign is stunning. Now it has to sell shoes.
Nike's World Cup campaign is the most ambitious thing the brand has produced in a decade. Jacquemus for France. The Virgil Abloh Archive for the United States. Palace for England. Kids of Immigrants on a limited mule that became the summer's most discussed sneaker. Mbappe and Kim Kardashian in the same film. The execution is extraordinary. Now comes the harder part: selling shoes.
Nike is chasing $51 billion in revenue for fiscal 2027. The World Cup campaign generates awareness and desire. The gap between desire and purchase, in a market where Adidas has strengthened its lifestyle position, New Balance has captured premium casual, and On Running has taken meaningful performance share, is where the campaign meets the business.
The luxury collaboration strategy is the right instinct. The consumer Nike needs to reach in 2026 responds to Jacquemus differently than to a speed claim. But the category has become genuinely competitive in a way it was not when the Swoosh was inarguably the most coveted athletic brand. The campaign is the setup. The autumn release calendar is the answer. Related: The World Cup Made Luxury a Sport