The shirt, engineered with a proprietary plated knit, releases April 9 on nike.com.
Source: shoes nike machomai 321819 170 white metallic gold cool grey
So I get a rare opportunity to go inside of a Nike Employee Store last week. I have on a pair of Epic Reacts, Nike jogger pants and a Champion heritage tee. A guy behind me has on a Polo polo shirt. When I get to the check in spot, an employee tells me that I can’t enter the store with the Champion shirt on. I have to turn the shirt inside/out. The guy behind me with the Polo shirt barely makes it in as well. The employee actually contacts the store manager to ask if his shirt can make it in and I’m questioning why she would do that. I get that my Champion shirt is an activewear brand that gained considerable steam in the last year, but Polo? Nike makes golf shirts, but no one is really rocking Nike golf shirts like they are rocking Polo shirts.
This morning I discover that Nike is dropping an updated version of their Nike Polo and then I look at the actual sales page and I’m blown away. The Nike Polo splash page is clearly not aimed at old dudes. Nike takes the time to implement a “styled by” segment on the splash page. About a month ago I noticed that Nike had shifted their site to a CMS which made it easier to create a more informative layout. They were hiring php techs/engineers also. In my book I discuss that every brand has to do a better job of presenting information on their sites to recapture search and keep visitors engaged. When a visitor to the site hits the Nike Polo page as they scroll there isn’t just the shirt size and information for purchase, there is a long blog styled update from stylist Karolyn Pho:
https://www.nike.com/t/polo-unisex-polo-pqh5sP/AT6111-010
Mark Parker discussed in detail that Nike would begin looking at the under 100 dollar segment of footwear to include more innovation. That was a clear indication the brand is looking to regain some ground from companies like Allbirds and Vans. This Polo shirt tells the story that Nike wants to capture your closet outside of sport. Here is a bit of copy from the page:
Designed with luxury in mind, The Nike Polo features high-quality pique fabric with a classic cotton look. But there’s more than meets the eye. Breathable construction and Dri-FIT technology give it the fit and feel of your favorite gym top, making this street-ready style staple ready for the course or court.
Also on the splash page is information on the design process of the new Nike shirt. The page informs, shows IG styling, delivers narrative via video and updates the buyer with content. The visitor to the page doesn’t have to go anywhere else to learn all that they need to know about Nike’s latest apparel development. There isn’t another athletic brand making this type of effort. Retailers definitely aren’t making this type of effort. They should be.