The two largest global sportswear brands – Nike and adidas – are in the midst of a content war, according to L2’s 2015 Digital IQ Index^®: Sportswear. Together, they claimed nine of the ten most-viewed YouTube videos made by Sportswear brands. Nike Football and adidas Football are the two top YouTube channels owned by Sportswear brands.Athlete sponsorships have historically been the core of major sportswear campaigns.  For example, adidas decided to sponsor 250 NFL players through 2018 after falling third in the market behind Nike and Under Armour. However, in a new campaign to launch February first, Nike is using lesser known actors to create an original, shoppable web series. Margot vs. Lily, produced by Better For It, tells the story of two sisters making two bets: Lily (who has a fitness channel) challenges the less active Margot to start one of her own, and Margot challenges Lily to make more friends. The series even hits on millennials affinity towards binge watching, promoting a library for those who want to watch eight episodes at a time. Nike promises fitness tips, star appearances, and the ability to shop featured items without pressing pause.

Last fall, Nike announced plans to generate $11 billion in revenue from women’s athletic wear in 2020. While this newly identified revenue stream is not necessarily groundbreaking, Nike’s innovative campaign strategy could present an advantage over competitors.