Submitted by ButtermilkAgency IPI Score 66/100

Nike: Chase the High. Share the Journey.

Influencer Marketing

Buttermilk recruited community-embedded creators to launch the Nike Vomero 18 inside real running culture, generating 13M impressions and a 450% spike in product searches.

7.5%Engagement
13MImpressions
450%Product search spike

About the campaign

Run clubs have become culturally significant social spaces, particularly for women, and their tightly knit communities readily identify and reject branded content that arrives from the outside. Nike needed the Vomero 18 to feel like a natural part of that culture rather than a product broadcast at it, so Buttermilk built the launch around creators who were already active participants in running communities, prioritising cultural fit over follower count.

The premise was that nano and micro creators with genuine community membership carry stronger peer-to-peer persuasion than high-profile names, and that a high volume of varied content across many creators reinforces the impression of organic adoption rather than a centralised brand push. Nike stayed behind the creators rather than in front of them, and the content itself mirrored how modern runners actually live with the sport: real training sessions, group runs, and everyday styling moments reflecting running's dual physical and social identity.

Across TikTok and Instagram the programme produced 1,700 pieces of creator content, and Buttermilk reports 13 million impressions, a 7.5 percent engagement rate that the agency describes as well above typical branded-content benchmarks, and a 450 percent spike in product searches, though measurement methodology is not disclosed. The campaign was shortlisted for Best Audience Engagement Campaign at the 2026 Influencer Marketing Awards.

Case in 60 seconds

Nike needed the Vomero 18 to feel like a natural part of running culture rather than a product being broadcast at it from the outside, in a category where tightly knit communities readily identify and reject inauthentic branded content.

Run clubs had become prominent social communities, particularly among women, and peer endorsement from genuine community members consistently outperforms aspirational celebrity placement in driving purchase intent.

Buttermilk would recruit creators who were already active participants in running communities, prioritising cultural fit over follower count, so the Vomero 18 would appear discovered by runners rather than sold to them.

Creators posted authentic content on TikTok and Instagram covering real training sessions, group runs, and everyday styling moments, producing a total of 1,700 pieces of content that created the impression of community-wide organic adoption.

The campaign delivered 13 million impressions, a 7.5% engagement rate, and a 450% spike in product searches, and was subsequently shortlisted for Best Audience Engagement Campaign at the 2026 Influencer Marketing Awards.

Strategy Breakdown

The primary strategy-learning section — interpretation, not a press-release summary.

Women active in running communities on TikTok and Instagram, for whom running carries both physical and social identity, according to Buttermilk's case study.
Run clubs and running communities have become culturally significant social spaces, particularly for women, yet brand marketing frequently sits outside these communities and is perceived as intrusive or inauthentic by participants. The tension is between brand visibility and community belonging.
Branded content in tightly knit communities risks being identified and rejected as inauthentic. Nike required a scalable content engine that could produce genuine, community-rooted stories rather than polished broadcast material that would read as external promotion.
Nike positioned the Vomero 18 not as a sponsor of running culture but as a shoe discovered and adopted within it, with the brand remaining behind creators who were already trusted members of the communities being reached.
Nano and micro creators with genuine community membership demonstrate stronger peer-to-peer persuasion than high-profile names, and a high volume of varied content across creators reinforces the impression of organic adoption rather than a centralised brand push.

Creative & Execution System

Assets & channels

  • Short-form video posts on TikTok
  • Posts and stories on Instagram
  • 1,700 total pieces of creator content across both platforms (source)

Partners

  • Buttermilk (lead agency, influencer campaign management and social strategy) (source)

Participation mechanic

  • Creators posted real training and group run content wearing the Vomero 18 (source)
  • Creators incorporated everyday styling content reflecting the dual physical and social identity of modern runners (source)

Creator role

  • Community-embedded nano and micro creators selected for cultural fit over follower count (source)
  • Creators were already active participants in running communities prior to the campaign (source)

Results & Evidence

MetricValueResult typeConfidence
Total impressions13 millionReachAgency reported
Engagement rate7.5%EngagementAgency reported
Spike in product searches450%Commercial intentAgency reported

Awards & Recognition

Award showYearCategoryResultSource
Influencer Marketing Awards2026Best Audience Engagement CampaignShortlisted—

Why Buttermilk's strategy worked

  1. 1

    **Community membership outweighed follower scale.** Buttermilk selected creators already embedded in running communities, ensuring content read as authentic peer recommendation rather than sponsored placement, which aligns with documented evidence that nano and micro creators drive stronger peer-to-peer persuasion than high-profile names.

  2. 2

    **Volume supported perceived organicity.** 1,700 pieces of content distributed across many creators created the impression of community-wide adoption that a smaller number of high-production brand posts would not have achieved.

  3. 3

    **Dual-platform deployment served distinct content modes.** Running the campaign across both TikTok and Instagram allowed creators to adapt tone and format to the native conventions of each platform rather than replicating a single asset.

  4. 4

    **Content covered the full identity of the modern runner.** Combining performance and training content with everyday styling moments reflected the dual physical and social role running plays for the target audience, broadening relevance beyond a purely functional product message.

  5. 5

    **Search uplift provided a downstream commercial signal.** A 450% spike in product searches indicated that engagement translated into active purchase consideration, going beyond vanity reach and engagement metrics.

Related Case studies