
via Imago
Credits: Imago

via Imago
Credits: Imago
Nike finally gets it—girl power! They are hitting the right chords as the brand has been going above and beyond lately to endorse women’s sports. Breaking a 27-year-old streak, the brand recently aired a Superbowl advertisement featuring the big gun women athletes- Sha’Carri Richardson, Jordan Chiles, and Caitlin Clark, who set off a buzz in town. We hadn’t even caught a breather since then, yet the brand has already pulled off another move.
This year alone, women’s sports will contribute around 20% of all sports coverage across broadcast, streaming, social, and digital media in the U.S. Not just Nike—82% of brands plan to prioritize women’s sports in 2024, according to the Sports Innovation Lab’s 2025 Women’s Sports Media Benchmarking Survey. Highlighting Nike’s bold approach, USWNT star Sophia Smith Wilson said that with its latest campaign, the brand aims to “breach new audiences who do not watch women’s sports.”
Nike’s spoiling its fans with surprises! Like metal to a magnet, the brand pulled the highest social media engagement among the Superbowl advertisers in Sunday’s game. Meltwater says Nike generated 188,000 engagement actions! Honestly, all they did was go bold with their choice of words. “You’ll be told you can’t do it. So do it anyway” and “You can’t win. So Win” hit the nail right on the head as taglines. And today, once again it’s an equally simple message that’s helped them make waves on social media.
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As of February 10, the latest update is that Nike sent its consumers a broadcast email this morning, giving them the option to shop by the athlete. The contents of the email displayed different tap-to-select sections, each with the name and image of a woman athlete on it. And guess what? While the row featured multiple Nike faces, Sha’Carri Richardson and Jordan Chiles were put right in the center. One was seen flaunting a red tracksuit with her signature nails, whereas Chiles was pulling off a bicep flex in her black Leo.
But what sealed the deal was the message. The headline of the email read, “Who Said You Can’t” which symbolized both, the new shopping option and the larger metaphorical message that related to the back stories of these athletes. Both Sha’Carri Richardson and Jordan Chiles have had seasons where they proved the doubters wrong. Richardson bounced back from her 2021 doping test setback to make her Olympic debut— and walked away with two medals. And Chiles? She helped secure a team gold and cemented herself as a force in gymnastics. So yeah, clearly, they shut out the naysayers who may have ever said, ‘They can’t.’
nike’s email this morning gives you the option to shop by the athlete. (sabrina, mallory, and juju are at the bottom)
so cool. pic.twitter.com/R3obU7T72m
— shakeia (@curlyfro) February 10, 2025
In fact, the two even went through a phase of major social badgering. Sha’Carri Richardson not only missed out on the 200m event but also lost her 100m Olympic champion title to Julien Alfred. And Jordan Chiles? She got hit with major backlash after her floor exercise bronze medal controversy. But here’s the thing—both of them stood right back up as if to say, “Who said we can’t?”
And Jordan Chiles? She did not let the opportunity slip past to clap back at her controversy. She wrote, “They’ll judge your every move. So make them question their judgment” on X, which felt like a clapback at what happened to her in 2024. She had originally placed fifth in the individual floor exercise event, but when Chiles’ coach appealed the score, she climbed to a third. She got the bronze. It was all done. Until the International Olympic Committee and CAS later objected and the medal went to Ana Barbosu. So yeah, ‘move’ and ‘judgment,’ in her message were not just words. They seemed to represent her story.
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What’s your perspective on:
Who said they can't? Are Richardson and Chiles the ultimate comeback queens in sports?
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But now, Nike’s latest email move is a blessing for the Sha’Carri Richardson and Jordan Chiles fans who wish to emulate their favorites. Or at least borrow a page from their lives! But does it end here? Well, from the big faces to the grassroots, Nike is upping its track and field game and this is another example of how.
After the big Jordan Chiles move, Nike’s setting track clubs
Did you think the Superbowl surprise Ad was the last trick up Nike’s sleeve? Well, if you did, think better. The brand’s really going hard on revolutionizing track and field. And they’re beginning right at the bottom of the pyramid. Another latest bit of update is that Nike has set up three Swoosh Track clubs! What are these? Well, these clubs will feature several of the best coaches in the sport and three training hubs.
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So what are their respective locations? The club will be led by Diljeet Taylor in Utah, Jerry Schumacher in Oregon, and Mike Smith in Arizona. Each location will host a “physical hub” and training resources where its athletes will live and train. Diljeet Taylor will lead the way in Utah, Jerry Schumacher will hold the reigns in Oregon and Mike Smith will take care of things in Arizona.
What do you think of both these initiatives? And the Jordan Chiles fans, are you getting the stuff she flaunts from Nike? Tell us below!
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Who said they can't? Are Richardson and Chiles the ultimate comeback queens in sports?