CR Blog
Nike Write The Future
Posted by Eliza Williams, 21 May 2010, 9:30 Permalink Comments (55)
After the obligatory trailer and Facebook launch, Nike's World Cup ad is finally released...
The spot is from Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam and directed by Alejandro G Inarritu, of Babel and 21 Grams fame. Unlike its blackly humorous trailer, which suggested something more unusual, it is everything you would expect from a (very long) major footy commercial: it's slick, fast and a touch overblown. The spot features football stars aplenty, including Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba, and is centred around what goes through footballers' minds on the pitch: will they bring glory for themselves and their country or devastation?
One of the stars included in the ad is Ronaldinho, who won't actually be taking part in this year's World Cup - this highlights one of the problems for sports brands and their ad agencies when preparing a major campaign like this, when injury or a player simply not being picked can make an ad seem out of date before it's even released.
Credits for three-minute version:
Co-Creative Directors – Mark Bernath / Eric Quennoy (W+K Amsterdam) Copywriters/Art Directors – Stuart Harkness / Freddie Powell (W+K London) Producers – Elissa Singstock / Olivier Klonhammer / Erik Verheijen (W+K Amsterdam) Account Management – Gene Willis / Jordi Pont / David Anson / Marco Palermo (W+K Amsterdam) Production Company – Independent Films London / Anonymous Content Director – Alejandro González Iñárritu Editorial Company – Work Post, London; additional editing by Mirrione, Los Angeles VFX Company – The Mill, London and New York Mix Company - Grand Central Studios London Music + Sound Design/Song Bed of Spot – “Hocus Pocus” by Focus Music Remix – MassiveMusic Amsterdam
55 Comments
but Ronaldinho isn't going to the world cup...
2010-05-21 10:53:42
@ Jack F
Indeed - was just adding a note about that to the article when you commented!
ElizaWilliams
2010-05-21 10:59:05
If ever there was an example of the perfect football advert, it's this. Absolutely brilliant. The next time a client attempts to cut budgets, choose the easy way out or wants to make the logo bigger, point them in the direction of Nike and their extra special advertising. Always, without a doubt they produce fantastic footballing campaigns. no expense spared. Okay, so Nike's budgets are massive. But the sentiment remains the same. You quite literally get what you pay for. Watchable again and again. Can you tell I like it?!
2010-05-21 10:59:11
Blows the Adidas spot out of the water doesn't it? Yes it's over the top but it nails the mix of sport and the serious business of World Cup glory/failure with fun and humour. Love the Rooney section and it's no surprise to see that Ronaldo goes on the biggest ego trip!
2010-05-21 11:07:52
Awesome spot that is.
Can't wait for the Cup to kick off with this ad in mind, seems even better.
Weldone and yes Watchable again and again.
2010-05-21 12:14:40
Absolutely brilliant! Loved it.
2010-05-21 12:26:14
Fun to watch and has a decent idea at the heart of it.... but not acutally that well shot..some dodgy cgi and cliche vari speed ball skills...7 out of 10.
2010-05-21 12:26:16
the lowest ad from nike i have seen for a word cup....please some wake up Elvis again
2010-05-21 12:31:02
Wow - this is miles ahead of the mediocre football ads, they've turned the overused slow motions into a proper world cup story with a side dish of humour whilst also maintaining the seriousness of the world cup to the players.
2010-05-21 12:32:00
Dear Carlsberg and Saatchi,
This is how you do a great football ad. In the words of Rio Ferdinand, taken from his ill fated and pretty rubbish Punk'd style TV show on ITV1 a few years back: "You've been merked!"
Yours, Secretly Swedish
2010-05-21 12:33:35
Rooney in a trailer park - clever humour!
D
2010-05-21 12:35:00
Quite amused to see a negative comment already - just goes to show we're a picky bunch!! For me, it's the super-overblown affair I've been waiting for. ROLL ON THE FINALS!!
2010-05-21 12:49:49
AWWWWEEEEE F**king SOME
2010-05-21 12:53:11
Loving Roony in the caravan. Strangely reminiscent of Guy Ritche's Snatch.
2010-05-21 12:54:20
Brilliant. Still don't think I'd call my baby Wayne though. What a relief after the shoddy Saatchi's Carlsberg spot, probably the dullest....
2010-05-21 13:16:46
Yes
A
2010-05-21 13:25:08
...Sucks to be Ronaldinho
Rooney bit is definitely hilarious.
A
2010-05-21 13:28:35
Cool - Very good love all the shorts more than the full length version.
Thank god for the internet if the only had TV they never woudl have bothered doing this amount -
if you agree check support RaceOnline2012.org
2010-05-21 13:48:41
the ad is meant to be for the world cup but there are players with numbers 27 and 28, which is impossible in world cup as numbers only go to 23.
2010-05-21 14:09:16
Did anyone else think Rooney was about to go straight through the back of Ribery and get sent off? :D
2010-05-21 14:22:32
Makes me sad there's no 5-a-side this weekend.
2010-05-21 15:23:49
Just a quick note to say that solely because of that advert I'm now off to buy myself some Nikes, And my kids, and when my kids have kids, they too will wear Nikes. I don't even like football.
Perfect.
2010-05-21 15:28:51
It has Hocus Pocus by Focus as the soundtrack. This should be all we need to know.
2010-05-21 15:57:59
Consistently brilliant throughout. Love the Federer ping-pong cameo! Even Ronaldo was bearable to watch.
2010-05-21 16:20:12
who cares if ronaldinho is not playing in the wc? this ad is everything a world cup ad should be, and then some. it's got a simple great idea, a massive production, footballers making fun of themselves and homer simpson.
it's the best ad the world has seen since gorilla.
2010-05-21 19:29:09
It's not that it's bad. But it's not as cool as the Joga Bonito stuff and lacks the footballing cred of Next Level. It's all over the place really. But if you fire enough random ideas at the screen some are bound to stick. I think this is one for casual fans, maybe the people who only tune in for the World Cup.
Nothing close to the Puma HardChorus yet for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-_rf2jVxxY
2010-05-21 22:26:58
brilliant concept, great execution.
rooney spot was good but went on a tad long. (he had pissed off teenager ripping poster, market loss, track painting, trailer park, then knighted by queen, babies named wayne... and then with federer...)
did everyone miss roger federer playing ping-pong vs rooney
and kobe bryant doing ronaldinho footwork
and gael garcia bernal acting as cristiano ronaldo in a would-be football movie?
this kind of crpss-sports same brand branding is genius and brings a strong sense
of camaraderie/we are one family ethos within the nike brandname.
2010-05-22 05:04:31
Ronaldinho could still go to the World Cup, depending on injuries (He is on stand-by). Nike would be hoping for that an attacking player picks up a knock and has to be replaced prior to the cup.
2010-05-22 09:03:11
Great ad and perfect track - Hocus Pocus from the Focus album Moving Waves. We booked them (for a song) to play our Art College dance in 1972 when they were an obscure Dutch group. By the night of the gig the album and single were both in the top 10 and the gig was packed. The proceeds put the student union account into the black. Rare.
2010-05-22 09:33:59
Fantastic ad, really got me in the mood for the world cup. And I have to thank @The Art Of Animals for this amazing quote:
"... Strangely reminiscent of Guy Ritche's Snatch."
2010-05-22 12:19:01
great! but I'd expect nothing less of nike/wk.
2010-05-22 22:16:07
What Seba said. Who cares if Ronaldinho isn't playing in the World Cup? He's still a big artist and good promotoer for football. And W+K was probably aware of this too, fact is Dunga has left Ronaldinho out in his squad for almost 2 years now, so I don't see how Ronaldinho didn't make it to the W.C could come as a surprise for so many?
It's just a minor detail, enjoy the fantastic spot instead.
2010-05-22 22:16:24
i wonder how long it will be before hype reduces reality to total mundaneity or whether they will merge as images and football will be seen to more exciting than a bunch of grown up men fighting over a ball. Oh wait....it already has.
2010-05-23 07:20:17
Credits, please, Eliza. It'd be nice...
2010-05-23 14:20:57
Ronal- D'oh!
Love it, nice to see some big stars not afraid to send themselves up.
2010-05-23 20:09:01
Who's the player who kicked the ball out of the goal when Drogba almost scored, where's he from?
2010-05-23 20:10:10
@Ryan O, That's Fabio Cannavarro, the Italian captain who lifted the World Cup last time round.
2010-05-24 09:23:16
These are grim times, but Nike still does it. I like it.
*Ryan 0, were sleeping during the last world cup? That's Italy's captain and World Champion, Fabio Cannavaro.
I know, it's the usual pre-tactics...
;-)
2010-05-24 09:40:07
Great advert! Quite an original take on it as well, which is difficult with a medium that has been worked and reworked over and over. Think it especially fits with the brand and slogan - just do it.
2010-05-24 09:52:46
Including Ronaldihno was a mistake. It's wasn't exactly breaking news when he wasn't selected for Brasil. Otherwise, loved it.
2010-05-24 14:50:49
Nice to see some good local stuff from WK, Amsterdam. Great work by a great agency.
2010-05-24 14:55:16
This is just too much for me...i wish i had came up with this concept...GOD...this is a fucking good, great Advert, what were the writers of this advert thinking, kudos, bigups to you guys, this is a big load, a huge load of creativity, i wish i had thought this up. damnnnnnnnnnnnnnn write the future indeed...the goal ain't in yet for drogba but the whole of Africa was already celebrating, only for the dude to kick it out using the skills he saw at a stage show or ballet or something
2010-05-24 17:44:12
comment deleted by moderator
2010-05-25 16:34:00
For topic about Ronaldiho, I guess as others said we r no surprise that he's not going to the worldcup
but then the story could pick up this rather than his tactic trend!
for people who get to go to WC and who's left behind.
I love to see the drama of Ronaldiho with a heartful that he might get selected on the last minute.
It would be fantastic write the future - just do it
2010-05-26 04:34:23
Amazing advert! It manages to capture the media of our time perfectly.
2010-05-26 11:47:41
This epic campaign really captures the scale, emotion and impact that one single moment in a football game can have on a player, fan or nation.
2010-05-27 09:07:33
The fact that Ronaldinho isn't going to the WC is irrelevant. The purpose of the ad is to generate excitement for the WC, which it does in abundance.
Well done Nike. Lets hope the rest of the WC ads that come out are up to the same standard...
Oh balls... I've just seen the Pringles one. :-(
2010-05-27 10:06:23
Slick footage, concept driven, touch of humour, entertainment value... Pleasing. What more could you ask for? Attractive Swedish underwear model? Maybe... : ) Still, I'm happy enough. Top drawer!
2010-05-31 20:26:17
Slick footage, concept driven, touch of humour, entertainment value... Pleasing. What more could you ask for? Attractive Swedish underwear model? Maybe... : ) Still, I'm happy enough. Top drawer!
2010-06-01 18:15:02
Somehow they got great performances out of the footballers - a notoriously wooden bunch. Rooney looks like a comic actor of some promise in this! Blink and you'll miss the U.S.A. team. For the record, Walcott ain't going to the World Cup either.
2010-06-03 23:43:56
Why do we go crazy when we see a sports advert with loads of stars? The Nike ad was so haphazard and not remotely entertaining. everything was everywhere. They could have done better. Take a cue from Pepsi!! Mr. Innaritu should stuck to movies. Come on, we've seen better sports ads.
2010-06-10 11:23:13
Ronal.....Doh!
2010-06-15 22:14:41
Slick footage, concept driven, touch of humour, entertainment value... Pleasing..
2011-06-10 03:27:43
Slick footage, concept driven, touch of humour, entertainment value...
2011-06-17 03:44:00
I am from South Africa and am really looking forward to the world cup!! Just saw the nike ad, shame there isnt anything about the actual nation that the world cup is being held at!!
Nike has lost some of my respect!!
2011-06-30 14:24:00
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