A unique media partnership with the Dogan Group facilitated this process. They agreed to a central deal for all their media which we needed in the campaign. They gave us their celebrities, agreed to produce, promote and air the celebrity spots, engage their columnists to write about the event and integrate the event story into their programs, serials, news and talk shows. Our online strategy included both display and social networking advertising. The outdoor campaign raised awareness with strategically placed messages at busy traffic spots.

Government support came from the ability to harness the event to promote the nation’s health. Government endorsement further raised the profile of the event as we were given permission to run over the famous Bosphorous Bridge. Streets were closed on the day of the race. This endorsement promoted the merits of the campaign to an even wider audience.

The full 10,000 places were taken for the Nike Human Race in Istanbul, countering the cultural norm. The event was three times over-subscribed in this supposedly lethargic city.860,000 individuals visited the bespoke Human Race website.

Uplift in sales of Nike Plus (Nike’s iPod compatible running product) was beyond expectations - 5,000 kits sold in Istanbul over three months during the campaign - equivalent to the total amount of units sold during the previous two years.

Overall this was a spectacular achievement with the whole city embracing brand, event and sport, paving the way for similar activity in the future.