Crushed or Crowned? Nike Shows Why Brands Need to Take More Risks

Craig Elimeliah is the chief creative officer at Code and Theory

Brand safety is never guaranteed. Every move you make can spark a cultural response, good or bad. Apple's recent iPad Pro campaign with the hydraulic press showed how fast a well-intentioned message can veer off course. What was meant to symbolise compressing creativity into sleek innovation was instead perceived as destroying human imagination. Soon, the internet was ablaze, and Apple issued a rare public apology. 

Flash forward to Nike's "Pressure Tested" spot. They saw the same opportunity and used the same hydraulic press but told a different story. In their LeBron 22 campaign, the press wasn't about destroying the past but owning it. Shattered game clocks, crushed mascots and a broken hourglass representing 'Father Time' turned pressure into triumph. Nike spotted a cultural opening and scored - the ad uses the same visual and tool but has a completely different outcome.

This is the new frontier in brand strategy. No brand is safe from blowback, but the smartest ones know that the actual game isn't about playing it safe; it's about playing it right. Every misstep, whether yours or a competitor's, is an opening. If you don't pivot and own the moment, someone else will. That's the move more brands need to make.

It's not about perfection. It's about reading the room, embracing risk and staying agile when things go sideways. When Heinz released back-to-back ads reinforcing harmful stereotypes, it wasn't just a PR disaster but an open invitation for a competitor to step in and set a better example. If Heinz had flipped the narrative themselves, they could have reversed course. However, hesitation left the door wide open for rivals to win the cultural moment.

I would have advised a competitor to run a campaign ASAP called 'All Families, All Love.' We would feature real families across diverse communities, fathers, mothers and children of all backgrounds, showing that love and parenting come in every form. Our single line would be: 'Good Taste Brings Us Together.' You get the idea.

I hate to say it, but Ryan Reynolds wrote the textbook in 2019 with the Aviation Gin response to Peleton's PR nightmare. The ad 'The Gift That Gives Back' was loudly panned as sexist. Overnight, Aviation Gin responded with a spot that shows the ad's star at a bar with friends who comfort her and toast to new beginnings. 

There was an opening, and Aviation Gin jumped through. The world applauded the ad's speed, wit and cultural relevance. Nine months later, Reynolds sold the brand to Diageo for $610 million. 

Of course, this competitive back-and-forth has always existed, from the Pepsi Challenge taste test to Wendy's Twitter wars. 

What's changed is that the lesson is crystal clear now: Brands need to stop fearing the fall and start embracing risk. Nike leaned into the pressure of a cultural moment and gave fans a reason to cheer. Risk isn't the enemy; irrelevance is.

The future belongs to brands that react to cultural moments and shape them. The goal isn't to drag your competitor; it's to show the world you understand the moment better. It's not about making products; it's about creating culture. And when others miss, you win by moving faster, smarter and with intent. The question isn't who makes mistakes; it's who owns the moment when the dust settles.