Nike win an Oscar for bad luck...

When it comes to asking the question of who not to use for celebrity endorsement, you should definitely ask Nike. Either they have a freaky intuition of how to intentionally attract bad press or maybe they are in on the game? Either way, it's not been a good run for them.

Mock advert on Chip Shop Awards

First Tiger Woods. Then Lance Armstrong. Now Oscar Pistorius. It seems the severity of their bad luck got worse as time went on. But, does this really reflect badly on Nike? What happened to the good old saying - 'there is no such thing as bad press'. This could be said when Tiger Woods was found out to be a serial cheater or arguably when Lance Armstrong admitted to doping, but perhaps it becomes exhausted when an athlete is accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend, or does it?

Nike is a likeable and established brand in sport who have stayed true to their roots. So, it is hard not to feel sorry for them when their support of iconic athletes is tarnished by bad press. However, from my own research it seems negative PR which is generated by external influences such as ambassadors and celebrities is hard to evaluate. In essence, they are merely endorsers of the brand, so the only thing that can be lost is their authority and credibility to the endorsement.

Perhaps, the very act of brands publicly dropping associations has a positive value attached to it. The recent Nike ad featuring Oscar Pistorius with the very unfortunate strap line 'I am the bullet in the chamber' got pulled pretty quickly after the incident but yet the advert has spread like wildfire. I bet my bottom dollar that more people have seen the ad now than who would of done. However, what damage has it really done? Lots of free publicity. Great. But, off the back of a murder inquiry. Not ideal, but so what? Nike did not get accused of killing anyone and the average person is not going to associate Nike with murderers. Needlessly to say, Nike did all they could do and suspended any further dealings with Pistorius. As they did with Armstrong. 

Recent Nike Ad featuring Pistorius

This type of bad press is not unique to the sports industry. Kate Moss' cocaine ordeal in 2005 saw Burberry and Chanel drop her from their books. Rimmel, I guess, saw the funny side. 

This brings to light, yet again, the vulnerability of using people/celebrities/ambassadors to support your brand. Yes, they bring all the values for which made them famous in the first place, but, it also brings the uncontrollable attention of their private lives. Is it worth the risk? 

Naturally, you do not think most people will be accused of premeditated murder or to be found using advanced doping methods. However, the private lives of celebrity endorsers will never represent the actions of the brand, so arguably there is no risk in the first place. Nike has just unfortunately become a text book example of how badly celebrity endorsement can go but I do not think that has come at a cost. 

The Tube's human side...

On the surface it seemed peoples perceptions of the Tube are that it is a cold environment where people are continuously cramped, silent and moody. However, there was an untapped human side to the Tube which was left hidden until now.

It was identified that the tube is the ultimate social network – connecting the lives of Londoners and getting them to the people and places that matter.  So, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Tube, 150 individuals were recruited to represent the best and most touching human stories about how the Tube has connected their lives. Did you know 3 babies were born on the underground in its entire existence? That people have met have met their future wives/husbands on the Tube?

The stories tap into fond memories from the ordinary public to popular celebrities and are being shared with fellow Londoners through a partnership with the Evening Standard. The first article, written by Steven Cording, kicked off the celebration of the anniversary on the 9th January by introducing some of the 150. Steve recounts how the Tube enabled him to meet his future wife through a fateful 'sliding doors' moment.

Introduction to the 150 article within the Evening Standard 09.01.13

Last week, TfL and The Evening Standard took advantage of Valentine's day on the 14th February by celebrating a few of the many love stories that were written. Robin, whose story was the focus of the article, had proposed to his wife on the Tube platform after a date and they have since been married 13 years!

Article on the Evening Standard 150 hub and in print 14.02.13

The diversity and passion of the stories challenge the 'cold' stereotype with experiences ranging from falling in love to dream job interviews. This partnership has enabled London Underground to have a human voice and provides a platform where they can connect with their customers on a more emotional level. This element of the campaign is part of wider activity celebrating the 150th anniversary where TfL are doing various events throughout the year to bring to the forefront the heritage and the future of the Tube.

To see the stories, visit www.standard.co.uk/tube150 and look out for future press releases in the Evening Standard.