Nike: Sport Wonderland

Nike wanted to introduce young women to a whole new world of sports and encourage them to discover the creativity, imagination, and free-spiritedness of being active. So we created a digital experience that inspires them to explore sports more freely. It went live during SuperBrand Week on Taobao, a Chinese online shopping platform.

The execution

Sports Wonderland is a vibrant virtual world where sports magic happens and anything is possible. It’s full of sparks, creativity, and imagination. Sports Wonderland is centered around motivation: where it comes from, what it feels like, and how to find it within yourself. It’s a surreal, whimsical place where users must rely on their senses to find their way around and figure things out.

The game is a journey to collect as much “motivation” as possible. Over the course of seven days, an interactive map leads users through a series of micro-interactions, sharing interesting sports facts and offering three engaging mini games. Throughout the Sports Wonderland experience, users collect boosters (or “motivation”) that propel them forward, keep them wanting to move more, and foster a holistic sports experience.

The mini-games use technology in clever ways to encourage movement. An AR running game detects the user’s smile and activates a character to run. The longer they smile, the more imaginative, playful, and magical the environment becomes — and it boosts the character’s mental health, too.
A tapping game uses finger movement to boost a character during a HITT workout. The faster the user taps, the faster the character moves. The game also has a bonus level that rewards hard work, demonstrating how focus and determination can lead to a clearer mind. A breathing game walks the user through box breathing exercises, building a beautiful virtual Zen garden during the chill-down, mindfulness moment.

In addition to designing the Sports Wonderland game mechanics and user experience, we also created a reward center that drives people to share, shop Nike products, and come back throughout the campaign.

The results

Sports Wonderland offers women a new way to freely experience and explore sports. By gamifying the experience, it empowers users to find motivation by activating fitness, mindfulness, and connection with others.