Rule 40 for the Olympic Games – which restricts participating athletes from appearing in advertisements – spurred many major advertisers to think outside the box in terms of campaigns between July 18 and August 5. Notably, Nike launched a video ad that premiered on YouTube before being shown on television, which draws on the Olympics for inspiration and seeks to engage viewers in a unique way.

Nike recently launched its "Find Your Greatness" campaign that highlighted the athletic efforts and achievements of the everyday competitor. Featuring footage of the many less prominent cities named "London" located throughout the world, Nike has stated that its hope for the ad is to inspire individuals around the world to become more active and proud of their athletic pursuits, even if they will never earn a world-renowned medal.

"If you have a body you're an athlete, and that's really a compelling insight for all athletes as we celebrate great sporting moments this summer," Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman said.

While this might be a nice sentiment, the ad is not merely inspirational – it is also shrewd in the way it is part of a multichannel effort to reach consumers. The everyman attitude is driven home with the ad's connection to Nike+ merchandise, according to Campaign India.

"The Nike+ digital ecosystem has over 8.5 million members globally, and Nike is creating a series of digital missions through Nike+ to motivate people, including a 'Greatness is Ours' mission that aims to make August 12 the most active recorded day ever through Nike+," the company wrote in a recent statement.

The scheduled event will coincide with the Summer Olympic Games' final day.