Table of Contents
Who doesn’t like sneaker ads? Some of the coolest commercials ever were produced for the sports shoe brands. It’s all speed, creativity, celebrities, and motivation. And there are no bigger enthusiasts of creative sneaker ads than the Kitcast team. That’s why we’ve decided to honor the best sneaker ads of 2022 with our traditional list. Let’s see what we had this year, buckle up for an adrenaline-filled visual journey.
1. Air Force 1 | Join Forces: Celebrating 40 Years of Force | Memphis Jookin – Nike
Why: Air Force 1 hit a respectable age of 40 in 2022. Nike decided to celebrate it in quite an unusual way. The company made a series of ads highlighting various dance collectives. This commercial specifically is about Memphis Jookin, the dance style specific to this Tennessee city. It’s a beautiful way to present and celebrate the shoe you’ve created.
One of the best Nike sneaker ads, it’s more of a poetic documentary of the movement and an ode to the colorful community. That’s next-gen marketing and a fantastic way to promote your sneaker. And can we talk about the execution for a second? It’s all 90s, sepia, and cool. Definitely one of our favorite sneaker ads of 2022.
2. Nike Japan’s Air Max Day 3D Billboard
Why: ads are still about impressing and with this 3D billboard Nike has certainly turned some heads. The place is the gigantic AR board outside Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, Japan. The company opted for an explosive show of their trademark Air Max changing colors and designs. The whole thing looks juicy and contemporary utilizing every inch of the interactive power that this 3D billboard has.
3. Adidas + RAVI Collaboration
Why: we’re used to shoe brands partnering with famous athletes, movie stars, or singers. But how about one of the biggest sports apparel companies in the world making a collaboration with a… beloved old-school Pakistani restaurant in Dubai? One of the most charming and life-affirming sneaker ads of 2022, the RAVI campaign of Adidas is something else.
The company masterfully utilizes the local context to create a shoe celebrating the restaurant on one hand and giving a node to the community on the other. The result is a slick white and green Adidas Original Superstar shoe that immediately becomes a hot property for all collectors around the world. Also, how cool is having the names of the meals on the tongue of the sneakers? It’s a heartwarming collaboration and one of the nicest Adidas sneaker ads.
4. Kanye Skechers Commercial – SNL
Why: we know, we know, it’s not a real sneaker ad. But SNL did a great job capturing the moment in time of Kanye West’s controversies influencing the sports shoe market. In one of the most poignant and hilarious sketches of 2022, the famous show decided to reimagine its visit of Kanye to Skechers headquarters from the company’s perspective.
And while it’s definitely a parody and Skechers isn’t that much complimented and even ridiculed a bit by SNL, it also works as a good reminder of why we love this brand. Their deal is all about affordable, comfortable, and quality shoes that may not be as cool as their counterparts’ sneakers, but still do the job perfectly.
5. She Moves Us with Dua Lipa – PUMA
Why: Puma is among the masters of using celebrity power for their commercials. 2022 is the year of Dua Lipa and the company took notice. The campaign involving the chart-topping artist is a fantastic piece of sneaker advertising that is very dynamic, visually perfect, and sends all the right messages.
Narrated with a British flair by the singer herself, She Moves Us promotes the idea of always moving forward. And we think it’s a great motto to stand by.
6. Tony Romo for Skechers Max Cushioning – Skechers
Why: from the goofy description of the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo as a “comfort enthusiast” to the obviously fake reactions from the office workers to seeing a gigantic human walking the streets, this Skechers ad doesn’t have that “cool” factor found in Nike or Adidas commercials. Gen Y and Z won’t be impressed, let’s put it this way. But it’s not what Skechers are aiming for.
The American company knows its customers very well and has a sharp target. And that’s the rule number one in advertising and a reason why this Max Cushioning commercial is on our list of the best sneaker ads of 2022. It is fun to watch and it works for the market segment Skechers is covering.
7. Create Now. Create Next. – Converse
Why: promote your sneakers without talking about the sneaker. Let the people do the talking. That’s the approach of Converse for their 2022 campaign. In the age of social media gathering, such an awesome team of brand ambassadors as you can see in the video is a very smart move. Converse decided to highlight the creatives of various industries including photography, music, choreography, entrepreneurship, etc. All of it with fantastic editing and a killer tune from one and only Tyler, The Creator.
From a marketing standpoint, such an approach is a treasure trove and an ultimate way to do evangelism right. Each of the people featured in the sneaker ad is an emerging or established leader in their creative niches. Converse penetrates different communities at once by choosing the right representatives of the brand. Social media will help elevate the message and multiply it. That’s why this campaign is an exemplary piece of influencer marketing and brand evangelism.
