Nike’s latest blockbuster spot blends sport with music and culture in an attempt to mobilise Londoners through a dynamic, breathless ad featuring a galaxy of stars and citizens fronting a new campaign that is designed to showcase and support the vast array of athletic activities undertaken by those living in the UK capital.
Spearheading the integrated initiative is a lengthy ad three-minute commercial, developed by the brand’s long-time creative agency Wieden+Kennedy London, which takes the viewer on a breathless journey through the city.
Shot on the streets of London (from Dalston to Peckham and Brixton), the frantic camera moves from football and running, through golf, basketball, swimming, boxing and even ice hockey as the commercial showcases the eclectic, odd and unusual places activities are practised in London.
It features am impressively diverse range of famous faces from across the sports, music and cultural diaspora: From British sports stars such as Harry Kane, Steph Houghton, Nathanial Chalobah, Mo Farah and Dina Asher-Smith, to those born elsewhere but plying their trade and showcasing their skills in the city like Eden Hazard, Alex Iwobi (England football manager Gareth Southgate even makes a brief Godlike cameo).
Plus it features stars from London’s culture scene such as Skepta, Michael Dapaah , Dave, Giggs, J Hus and AJ Tracey.
The ad’s soundtrack reflects the competitive theme with each young Londoner getting their own piece of music: opening with Skepta’s ‘Shutdown’ and even including West London’s pirate radio station Kurupt FM.
Despite all the famous faces, the core objective is to champion the city’s youth and the spot features 258 real Londoners working hard and enjoying their passions and what they love in a challenging urban environment.
The campaign also includes call-to-action for people in the city to add their own voice into the mix by downloading the Nike app.
Debuting socially on 9 February (to leverage the half term holidays), the online video has notched up 2m YouTube views alone in its first three days.
The hero film is supported by additional content pieces across the brand’s digital and scoial channels.
Don't miss a beat https://t.co/DF7DHLO4Nv #LDNR pic.twitter.com/xd3rXqYAyy
— Nike UK (@NikeUK) February 7, 2018
The wider Nike campaign rolls out through February half-term week across 270 sports venues in the city: venues at which a squad of Nike ambassador athletes will meet communities and play sport with young people.
As well as W+K, those working on the ad included direction from Riff Raff Films collective Megaforce.
“Despite the star cameos, the creative flips the traditional model and holds kids up as the inspiration for all – championing them, their spirit and incredible athlete mindset,” commented Wieden & Kennedy London creative directors Paddy Treacy and Mark Shanley.
Comment:
This is a joyful, city homage film focused on celebrating and championing the passionate, enterprising and fiercely competitive young Londoners who shape their city.
The spot immediately went viral with many – from Londoners and sports stars to politicians (like London mayor Sadiq Khan) and marketing creatives – using social media to voice their approval.
And the scenes of crowded, aging council-run sports facilities was even seen by some as a veiled criticism of former London mayor Boris Johnson.
It follows on from previous London-specific NIke work such as 2014’s ‘Fuel London’.
It is a key step in Nike’s current ‘global city’ strategy, developed back in June 2017, which saw the sportswear giant identified London and 11 other key cities (in 10 countries) that will be the focus of its effort to fuel its global growth.
Nike believes around 80% of its projected growth through 2020 will come from those cities, which, in addition to London, also include New York, Shanghai, Beijing, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Mexico City, Barcelona, Seoul, and Milan.
Nike describes this approach as ‘local business on a global scale’.
Of course, while many Londoners (and ad/marketing industry insiders) are loving it, there is always the potential that customers outside those cities could become alienated.
What price Nike follows up with ‘Nothing Beats A Manc/Brummie/Glaswegian’?
Links:
Nike:
https://www.instagram.com/nike/
https://www.youtube.com/user/nike
Wieden & Kennedy London
