Nike x HQ Air Max Day

Objective

Nike leveraged HQ Trivia, one of the most popular live mobile trivia apps at the time, to create a native brand sponsorship experience for Air Max Day. The partnership aimed to combine the sneaker cultural moment with the addictive engagement mechanics of live trivia, positioning Nike as a tech-forward, native advertiser rather than relying on traditional ads. The campaign was designed to celebrate the heritage of Nike Air and drive brand engagement through interactive entertainment.

Solution

Nike sponsored a live trivia game broadcast on HQ Trivia during Air Max Day (March 26, 2019). Players answered trivia questions about the history and heritage of Nike Air shoes. The prize structure included a $100,000 shared prize pool distributed among winners, plus 100 pairs of limited-edition HQ Trivia x Air Max 270 sneakers given away to top scorers during gameplay. The experience was pure game integration—no traditional ads were shown; instead, the shoe giveaway and brand storytelling became the central mechanic of the live event.

Results

Specific viewership and participation numbers for the Nike sponsorship were not publicly disclosed. HQ Trivia as a platform was reaching approximately 2.2 million concurrent viewers during prime events at the time, but Nike campaign-specific metrics (players, engagement duration, conversion) were not published.