Brazil’s entertainment model has TV as it’s main channel, but online entertainment is raising fast. Brazil has 105 million internet users, which are, on average, 27 hours per week online. 36% of their time online are dedicated to social networks that work mainly as content distributors. The biggest social network is Facebook, where more than 90 million users spend on average 9 hours/week. Brazilian people tend to consume on Facebook and Twitter funny entertainment and a live coverage of the hottest themes and trends at the moment. TV is still the main content creator but the subjects are quickly discussed online. YouTube keeps growing as a huge entertainment channel as does its live coverage of events. Soccer games and sport events are usually watched on TV and commented online. And also, Brazil has recently approved a bill that ensures internet neutrality, privacy and freedom of speech online.

Nike Running Brazil faces a big challenge: make running even more atractive to a younger audience. To achieve that, Nike has been promoting running events that are more social and fun to young athletes. On November 2013, one of these events happened in Rio and our challenge was to increase the number of participants and create an even more joyful experience to increase their interest for running. Our strategy was to promote a digital innovation project as part of the race to help runners tell their stories online with Nike’s help. We created High-Five to Share. By observing runners we had an insight: runners high-five to motivate and communicate with each other. We perceived that high-fiving translates the act of running into happiness and pride. So we designed an equipment that mirrored this human behavior by letting the runners slap different big yellow hands along the race and share their emotions to friends. The project started 3 months before the race event, and at the registration website we displayed all the specs about the High-Five to Share stunt. This increased interest for the event and sold out the race in advance. The race became a big deal with lots of expectations from the public. 3 days before the event, registrants got their race kits and had their first experience with High-Five to Share by attaching their Facebook profiles to the hand-band. During the race, it was so exciting to be part of it, that runners would High-Five with the hand-bands to show off. Each runner could express their excitement before the race start, their level of physical effort on the last mile and their pride of finishing the race.

3 months before the race event we created a website promoting the innovative idea that would take place at race day. This website connected runners through their Facebook ID and by Nike+ profile. The race event and High-Five to Share’s initiative walked side-by-side having High-Five idea as it’s main drive. E-mails, banners, Facebook ads promoted the event and the idea. During the race, runners participating on the High-Five to Share stunt, shared their feelings on Facebook by high-fiving the hands placed along the track.

The race sold out one month before the event. 12000 runners attended. 166% increase compared to previous year. During the race people got crazy about high-fiving. 4519 runners participated. They generated 8876 high-fives, which was all relevant content. Each high-five post got an average of 40 Likes or comments, which was like having 40 friends cheering for each runner. The total direct interactions from friends on Facebook was 356,234 and the organic reach was 2,952,812. But above all, it was an extraordinary experience for Rio 10k runners that have showed that running can actually be fun and social. And it was also a surprising experience for friends and family online who could keep up with the runners' experiences during the race.