Back In 2016, Nike released their big idea to kick safety pins to the curb. And it was terrible. The global superpower, with their billions of dollars and “state of the art” product design teams created a solution that was poorly designed, misinformed, and flat out a failure.
The Sticky Bib that Never Stuck
Nike’s not-so-brilliant idea for a bib that doesn’t use safety pins was to create a bib with heavy adhesives that stuck directly to your gear. Even in theory this isn’t a great idea because it replaces one damaging solution with another. The sticky bib was just as damaging, if not more so, as traditional bibs with safety pins. These bibs would leave a thick layer of adhesive residue on your race day shirt or expensive cycling suit. Instead of a small hole that rips over time, your gear would be covered in residue that would ruin it immediately. The residue would leave obnoxious stains and become a hassle to un-peel and get off.
Even worse than the terrible residue that the sticky bib left behind, was the fact that the thing did not stay securely stuck on in the first place. The adhesive used to stick these bibs onto your shirt or suit would be unstuck by sweat. Nike, a global leader in endurance sports gear, forgot that the athletes that used their products would sweat. As soon as your race day shirt was slightly damp from a completely normal amount of sweat, it would fall right off or become bunched up. If the adhesive held up long enough for the runner to get to the start of a race, the material of the bib would be easily sweat through causing the numbers to be unreadable.
A Terrible Bib for Race Directors, and Sponsors
Obviously, this bib design was a nightmare for athletes, but how did it work out for race directors and sponsors? You could probably already guess that it was a bad option on race day for everyone involved. Race directors had a hard time recording accurate scores because the bibs would fall off or be sweat-through and unreadable. This did not help relationships between race directors and sponsors who were looking to advertise on the bib because the brand was not visible throughout the event.
BibBoards Solved the Nike Solution
Nike’s solution to the safety pin problem was more of a mess than the actual safety pins. Nike, the company whose motto is “Just DO It” could not actually do it. But BibBoards can.
BibBoards provide a safe and secure alternative to safety pins on race day. Keep your bib secured to your race day shirt without causing damage to your gear or your skin. BibBoards don’t leave any residue because it uses a patented locking mechanism to keep your bib secure until you cross the finish line. BibBoards are environmentally friendly and reusable. BibBoards help keep safety pins off the racecourse and out of the community.
Not only do runners prefer them to both safety pins and a giant sticker, but race directors rave about them too. “We are taking the initiative and pioneering greener events. This will help reduce the waste footprint. One thing I like is participants eliminate the holes in the shirts we hand out and they will keep them as souvenirs and collect them” says Ryan Dawkins Race Director and owner of Oakland Run Co. BibBoards are completely customizable and are used as sponsor space that is sure to grow impressions during and after the event. BibBoards elevate race day experience. If you are looking for the best solution for securing your bib in place all while gaining sponsorship revenue, trust BibBoards. Slap the Nike sticker in the trash where it belongs and get ready to cross the finish line with your bib secure on your chest.
ABOUT BIBBOARDS, INC.
For The Endurance Sports World
In 2016, the right team came together. Leading it was BibBoards founder and CEO Brian Goodell. Following a Division I college football career and a successful stretch in the world of San Francisco real estate, Goodell lent his eye for detail and his knack for problem-solving to the endurance sports world. Goodell had invented and received his first patent in 2005 – a successful consumer solution landing in over 30,000 retail stores.
Goodell saw that BibBoards could rid athletes of the disadvantages of the old rusty safety pins. And Goodell also saw the market need and universal demand for a better bib fastener that was NOT a magnet or sticky bibs that ruin athletic apparel.
And just the right solution came together. While securing a web of intellectual property protection, including patents and international trademarks, Goodell and his team invested in a crack staff, high-capacity printers capable of fulfilling the most demanding custom orders, and digital infrastructure so impressive that Comcast featured them in their own advertising.
BibBoards’ leadership team has expertise spanning an impressive range, from marketing to distribution to intellectual property licensing. What started as a clever answer to a prickly problem is now a powerful marketing tool for promotional, brands, events, and race directors.
