Nike recently submitted the National Women’s Soccer League for consideration in the best drama category at the Golden Globes. Genius.

For years, the go-to strategy for sports has been to proclaim it to be the ‘best drama’ on television. Nike has taken it one step further and gone toe to toe with Netflix, HBO, and Apple; this ‘actions speaks louder than words’ approach reinforces the brand mission we all know and love – the brand is just doing it, the uninvited guest venturing into unexpected territories.

This lateral approach reminded me of another unorthodox entrant excelling in an arena in which it is unrecognised: the illegal narcotics industry and its marketing strategies. For years these illicit innovators have been creating a marketing concoction so potent that if it were any more addictive, it would be, well, illegal.