Nike Launches Global Air Max Dn8 Campaign Featuring Artists and Athletes | Branding in Asia (2025)

Nike has unveiled a global campaign for its latest Air Max release, the Dn8, enlisting artists and athletes to spotlight the shoe’s new design and technology. The campaign enlists artists and athletes to spotlight the shoe’s new design and technology. Among the featured collaborators is tennis player Shang Juncheng, who appears in visuals crafted by Builders Club.

The campaign also features contributions from Gabriel Moss, Marius Gonzalez, Kobbie Mainoo, Yuto Horigome, and NEWFORMAT. Each participant brings a unique visual perspective to the Dn8, emphasizing movement, energy, and the product’s design language.

Nike describes the Air Max Dn8 as incorporating an eight-tube cushioning system intended to enhance fluidity and energy return. The campaign underscores this innovation by merging sport with art to present a cultural narrative around performance and creativity.

“The campaign’s visual assets are designed to elevate the Air Max Dn8’s silhouette, emphasising key design elements such as its signature Air Units,” said Builders Club in a release.

“Each artist and athlete pairing tells a distinct product story, yet all share a common goal: to visually capture the power and movement of the Dn8. The visuals are bold, vibrant, and full of energy, reflecting the Air Max’s cutting-edge design and technology.

The creative brief was intentionally open-ended, encouraging extensive experimentation and the development of new techniques. Much of the process focused on R&D, with an emphasis on crafting a distinct visual style. Builders Club ultimately landed on a digital painterly effect, refining it into a precise, shot-specific aesthetic.

Shang Juncheng was 3D scanned in Beijing using a mobile scanning unit, with Builders Club directing the process remotely.

Credits:

Builders Club: Production Company, Direction, Design, Animation
Nike Greater China: Client
Care of BLOC: Full Body 3D Scan
Sion Millet: Producer (BLOC)
Pixel Light: 3D Scanning
Monumental: Edit House and Post Production
Elisa Johanna Kand: Edit and Post Producer
Colin Journee: VFX Lead
Group Project: Audio + Sound Recording Studio
INK: Retouch

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