Daily Signals 11.09.2025

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Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride and how the majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content.

Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

Nike, Global Nike, Global
Nike, Global Nike, Global
Nike, Global Nike, Global

Global – Nike has re-imagined its iconic Just Do It slogan for today’s athletes with the launch of its latest campaign, Why Do It? 

The campaign positions greatness as a choice rather than an outcome, urging young athletes to take the first step and redefine what achievement looks like in a fast-changing sporting culture. ‘Just Do It isn’t just a tagline, it’s a spirit that lives in every heartbeat of sport,’ says Nicole Graham, Nike’s executive vice-president and chief marketing officer. ‘With Why Do It?, we’re igniting that spark for a new generation.’

A bold anthem film anchors the campaign, featuring athletes including Carlos Alcaraz, Saquon Barkley, Caitlin Clark, LeBron James, Rayssa Leal and Qinwen Zheng. The ad highlights sport as collaboration, courage and authenticity, while challenging hesitation and fear of failure. 

‘Greatness is something you earn with every choice, every workout and every comeback,’ says Barkley. 

By revisiting one of its most enduring cultural touchpoints, Nike is re-affirming its belief that trying counts, failure shapes progress and that sport remains a universal call to movement.  

This echoes our Soft Sports microtrend report, where we analysed how brands are shifting from performance culture towards a softer approach that emphasises holistic wellbeing and community. 

Strategic opportunity

Encourage experimentation by designing campaigns that celebrate trial and error, shifting focus from flawless outcomes to growth and empowering customers to create their own paths to progress and success 

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

New Zealand – The Department of Conservation in New Zealand has unveiled a three-year campaign with Deloitte Digital and Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate team to inspire everyday engagement with nature not as specialist work, but as a collective cultural responsibility.

The Always Be Naturing initiative seeks to mobilise individuals, businesses and communities to connect more deeply with the natural and historical heritage of Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand).

Unlike traditional environmental messaging, the campaign adopts a playful, accessible tone to position conservation as something within everyone’s reach. By positioning conservation as part of New Zealand’s brand identity, the initiative shows how humour and lightness can galvanise national pride and participation – an approach we highlighted in our Subversive Sustainability Ads report.

‘It’s not just the ranger caring for birds on a southern island,’ says Deloitte Sustainability partner Louise Aitken. ‘In our daily choices, we can all impact the preservation of nature.’

Our Rebranding Sustainability series offers valuable insights on how to tackle, promote and preserve sustainability in an era when it often feels overwhelming or insincere to today’s consumers.

Department of Conservation, New Zealand Department of Conservation, New Zealand

Strategic opportunity

Position environmental action as part of your brand’s cultural identity to deepen relevance and build long-term loyalty

Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

H&M and Eva Chen, US H&M and Eva Chen, US

US – Clothing retailer PacSun’s study of more than 6,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers in the US reveals how fashion purchases are increasingly made for content creation. The first Youth Report by PacSun shows how mental health, music, fashion and social media shape the lives of 11–24-year-olds. Interestingly, one in five respondents aspire to be content creators and 75% of Gen Alpha are purchasing clothing specifically for content creation. 

Conducted with data and analytics firm GlobalData, the survey found that 42% of respondents place mental health above physical health or academic success. Music emerged as a defining element of identity, while fashion remains a strong focus, with about one in five (21%) regularly debating trends with friends. TikTok is the platform they value most, relied on by 59% for fashion updates and by 66% for news and pop culture.

PacSun will publish the report annually and unveil future editions at its new Purpose Summit, where it plans to launch a Youth Advisory Council of cultural influencers. 

In our Kidswear Market report, we analysed how, following in the global fashion market’s footsteps, the children’s section is becoming more agile and eco-conscious.

Strategic opportunity

Treat Gen Alpha less as passive consumers and more as aspiring creators. Build eco-systems where they can co-create, remix and distribute content alongside your brand

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