|
MUMBAI: With the kickoff to the Fifa World cup
taking place in less than a month's time, footwear manufacturer
Nike says that it expects its grassroots initiative Joga3 to
attract more than three million kids from 39 countries by the end
of this summer. This will equal to the number of spectators
anticipated at soccer’s world championships in Germany this June
and July.
Nike Joga3 is a three-on-three soccer game inspired by the game of
futsal, both of which are played with the smaller, heavier futsal
ball on a small, hard-surface field. The smaller ball and field
elevate the importance of foot skills, ball control, creativity
and quickness.
Joga3 matches are played on a pitch that is no larger then half a
basketball court. The goals are not protected by a goalkeeper and
are only five feet wide by 19 inches high. Games last three
minutes and there are no ties.
As of 1 April 2006, Nike estimates that one million kids globally
have played Joga3. Regional tournaments are increasing in size and
frequency, building toward the global final that will take place
in Brazil in August.
The US final is scheduled for Los Angeles on 9 July. Local and
regional market tournaments are currently taking place every week
from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles. The tournaments are free
and open to boys and girls 19 years and under. In addition to
digital and grassroots outreach to spread the Joga3 message, more
than 100,000 kits that teach Joga3 have been distributed through
soccer specialty retailers throughout the US.
Kids who participate in Joga3 are expected to play by a code of
conduct that includes Skill, Heart, Joy, Honour and Team. The new
game and the global tournament are part of the Nike soccer
initiative, Joga Bonito (Portuguese for “Play Beautiful”), which
is designed to inspire this same code of conduct across all levels
of the game of soccer and among all players.
Nike Soccer global general manager Don Remlinger says, “Much the
way the game of futsal has helped hone the foot skills of some of
the world’s most talented players like Brazil’s Ronaldinho, Nike
designed Joga3 to inspire quickness, speed, creativity, and
commanding ball control. Most important though is ensuring that
kids learn to play by the code and that they carry these
characteristics forward.”
Nike introduced Joga Bonito to the world in early February through
a digital and broadcast television message from soccer legend Eric
Cantona that reached more than 38 million people in its first
weekend, 10-12 February 2006.
As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com Nike has made
five television commercials featuring famous football players.
This is a part of Nike's Joga Bonito (Play Beautiful) campaign.
Joy, Team, Honour, Skill and Heart are the values of Beautiful
football and the themes of the commercials, which are introduced
by Eric Cantona from the studios of JogaTV - the TV station
created to spread the Joga Bonito message. Speaking to
Indiantelevision.com a Nike spokesperson that the TVCs will air on
channels like Ten Sports.
The spokesperson adds that on the product front, Nike India has
just launched the lightest (200 gms) ever football boot. "The
Mercurial Vapor IIII is Nike's most advanced football
boot ever, while the innovative Vapor System provides the highest
level of technical innovation, speed and comfort for today's
fastest football player" the spokesperson adds.
For the uninitiated in March, Nike had introduced Joga.com, a
social network dedicated to people around the world who share a
passion for the joy and beauty of soccer. Joga.com enables users
to create profiles, pick their favorite players, post their own
photos and videos and form global social networks to share, debate
and celebrate the heart and soul of soccer. Currently, a new
member joins Joga.com every eight seconds.
In the US, Nike also introduced JogaTV, a new internet TV channel
that gives soccer fans a front row seat to exclusive video
featuring some of the game's greatest players. Through technology
created by Maven Networks, soccer enthusiasts can download a
JogaTV icon, which lives on a desktop for easy access. Each week,
Nike delivers Joga Bonito content and automatically updates JogaTV
directly on the user’s desktop.
As far as India is concerned when asked as to whether Nike is
looking to use any celebrities to push its products the
spokesperson notes that Nike has an association with athletes
across the globe. In India, the Nike athletes include Baichung
Bhutia, Mahesh Bhupati and Anju Bobby George. "Our athletes
obviously wear and endorse our products. All our marketing
campaigns are global and hence it is the same campaigns that are
executed in India as well."
|
