Nike introduced its revolutionary Air Max 1000 at this year’s ComplexCon in Las Vegas. The 3D-printed innovation fused cutting-edge technology with the 37-year legacy of the iconic Air Max 1, capturing the attention and interest of millions. Nike’s multi-layer marketing strategy, from its perfected multi-channel infrastructure to its championed event marketing, made the Air Max 1000 the centerpiece of the year’s biggest cultural event. This marketing case study uncovers Nike’s Air Max 1000, its incredible marketing strategy, and how this transcended as the number one takeaway from this year’s ComplexCon.
Complex is an American entertainment and media platform that specializes in pop-culture, sneakers, music, news, and shows. Since its founding in 2002, Complex has leveraged omni-channel marketing and media production to solidify themselves as industry-leading pioneers. As technology and social media have rapidly developed over the past quarter-century, Complex has taken advantage by growing its audience through multiple platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, and several others.
However, all of this would change as Complex introduced its first annual ComplexCon in 2016. In their original press release, Complex’s ‘why’ behind their conference was described as,
“We created ComplexCon, an unprecedented festival and exhibition conceived to bring together pop culture, art, food, style, sports, music, and more. It’s basically our website, magazine, and video operation rolled up into a two-day festival”
Now having just completed its eighth consecutive ComplexCon, the brand continues to expand its horizons to new audiences, possibilities, strategies, and successes for the rest of 2024 and into the foreseeable future. This year’s convention was held on November 16-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada, hosting some of the biggest, most influential figures to-date.
While the inaugural event had high-profile designers like Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami, this year’s ComplexCon had a lineup that made it seem like a music festival. Hip-hop artist, Travis Scott, headlined the convention, hosting several events, promotional campaigns, and much more. (Editor’s Note: Truthfully, his involvement could be an entirely new marketing case study, let me know if you would like to see that!)
In addition to Scott, other notable attendees consisted of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 2 Chainz, Cody Rhodes (WWE), Salehe Bembury (designer), Big Sean, Angel Reese (WNBA), and FaZe Banks (FaZe Clan). This heavy involvement from multiple arenas of interest was the catalyst to an incredible marketing campaign from Nike and their introduction to its latest creation - the Air Max 1000.
Nike debuted another revolutionary design with their Air Max 1000 at this year’s ComplexCon. The 3D printed sneaker is in partnership with designer ZellerFella, and takes inspiration from Nike’s iconic Air Max 1 - the first from the iconic sneaker line formed nearly 40 years ago in 1987.
When asked about Nike’s new sneaker model, Chief Innovation Officer John Hoke said,
“As an innovator, what's most exciting to me about the Air Max 1000 are the new solutions we can achieve with next-level manufacturing," says John Hoke, Chief Innovation Officer. "It's control, times precision, times expression — all of which are vital to sport and to design. When those variables of control, precision and expression are multiplied at once, the future of our product really does feel unlimited.”
With high praise from executive leadership, Nike is optimistic that the Air Max 1000 is a pioneer to the brand’s potential shifts in its manufacturing and implementation strategy. This remaster of Nike’s Air Max 1 has certainly caught the attention of millions, whether they attended ComplexCon or not, but how did the brand’s marketing foster a near 40-year-old seed, and what strategies quickly brought this sneaker to center stage of what is arguably the biggest pop-culture conference in the world?
Nike’s latest campaign integrated a multi-level, omni-chanel strategy that engrained the Air Max 1000 into their audience’s brain, whether they liked it or not.
- Leveraging ComplexCon & Event Marketing: The no-brainer. Drawing in tens of millions either in-person and those living through others online means significant press and attention. This much press at a live event could also sway negative should a campaign go south. Fortunately, Nike’s track record of releasing event-exclusive sneakers and its diverse marketing campaign ensured that its Air Max 1000 would be an instant hit - and that it was.
- Captured Old School & New School, Flawlessly: History has shown that 3D printed sneakers dont’ have the greatest track record (more on that soon), but Nike’s social media meticulously fused the inspiration from the Air Max 1, and the intricate design and process from the printed Air Max 1000. So whether you’re a fan of the classics or a forward-looking consumerist, this sneaker is, unequivocally, for you.
“Without a doubt, it’s the unlimited potential of Nike Air and the DNA of Air Max - which powers the design lines and midsole of this shoe. The combination of Air and 3D makes a very engaging underfoot experience that delivers insane comfort and responsiveness” - Christian Gonzalez, Lead Footwear Designer at Nike
- Gardened Word-of-Mouth Promotion: Arguably the greatest and most effective strategy, Nike’s word-of-mouth surrounding this sneaker was second to none. Fans were able to win this sneaker at ComplexCon via a large slot machine, which not only made the acquiring process one-of-a-kind, but undeniably sharable as others would flock to try their chances at winning Nike’s new sneaker.
- Structuring an Omni-Channel Campaign: Nike showcased its newest creation through several channels including press releases via Nike.com, Instagram, X, and YouTube. These channels didn’t just showcase the sneaker, they told the story of how the shoe came to be, what Nike’s lead designers love about the Air Max 1000, and how 3D printing brought the sneaker to life in ways traditional manufacturing couldn’t.
“3D printing enhances our ideas by allowing us to create something like the Air Max 1000 - which was previously impossible by traditional manufacturing processes,” - Jake Scannapieco, Lead 3D Designer for the Air Max 1000
Scannapieco continues by saying, “our process ideas and expertise paired with 3D design played a massive role in bringing the representation of our ideas to life. This process enabled us to think of the AM1000 as a wearable sculpture.”
Nike received cosigns from nearly everyone who attended ComplexCon surrounding the Air Max 1000’s. Beyond contracted individuals like Travis Scott, Nike received additional marketing and brand awareness from Cornelius Schmitt (or ZellerFella on Instagram), who partnered with Nike and brought this sneaker to life. As shown below, Schmitt and his team were found giving away pairs of the Air Max 1000s to fans in the streets from his Tesla Cybertruck - which seems like the 2024 attention magnet for cars. Spontaneous events like this not only promote the sneaker during its event-exclusive release, but also paints a positive image on the campaign, Nike as a brand, and the messaging behind its current and upcoming deliverables surrounding the shoe.
But it didn’t stop there. The air max 1000 exhibited an additional layer of influencer marketing - only this time it was indirect, and an organic root that stemmed from Nike’s successful campaign. Prominent sneaker content creators like Qias Omar, Elliott Page, and Seth Fowler were seen promoting the sneaker and its innovative design, broadcasting to millions of followers across multiple social platforms.
Their extensive breakdowns of the shoe not only dissect the sneaker’s design and feel, but also reflect similar themes taken from Nike’s marketing blueprint like innovation, revolutionary, and one-of-a-kind.
While the Nike Air Max 1000 was a ComplexCon exclusive sneaker, hinting at a wider release could raise some concern for the brand should they move forward with this idea. History has shown us that 3D printed sneakers sound great on paper, but fail to perform when it comes to brining in revenue.
The first sneaker to catch wave of this trend was the Adidas Futurecraft 4D in April, 2017. Riding off the heels of the championed Yeezy 350 V2 and Adidas Ultra Boost, the Futurecraft 4D had a difficult time getting off the ground, and ultimately remained in the shadow of its predecessors.
Nontraditional footwear would morph from 3D printed shoes to clog-like footwear, when again, Adidas broke ground on its Yeezy Foamrunner. This prehistoric-looking silhouette had record-breaking numbers, returning hope for nontraditional footwear - whether 3D or not. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as Yeezy ended its partnership with Adidas in 2024, ending the production of all Yeezy related products.
Moreover, this turbulent history raises questions for what the future holds for Nike and its Air Max 1000. This sneakers has the marketing blueprint to make an attempt at a worldwide release, but this is definitely a sneaker Nike wouldn’t want to mass produce like its Air Max DN. A revolutionary design such as this should be cherished and kept limited, but only time will tell if Nike decides to expand this project any further.
Nike debuted its revolutionary Air Max 1000 exclusively at ComplexCon, the greatest pop-culture, sneaker, and news event to date. It’s expansive marketing blueprint, coupled with indirect influencer marketing, cultivated one of the strongest marketing campaigns for the sportswear industry in 2024. With questions rising on Nike’s next move for a global release, sneakerheads, engineers, designers, and everyone in between will be on the edge of their seat, patiently waiting to see if they can get a chance to purchase the next piece of history.