The latest epic and vibrant spot in Nike’s recently launched ‘Play New’ platform is called ‘The Land Of New Football’ and imagines a utopian footballing world of tolerance, diversity and inclusion.
Leveraging spiking football fever around UEFA Euro 2020 and created by long-time agency partner Wieden + Kennedy, the creative sees the sportswear giant imagine a different footballing space: one where two players can feel free to kiss on the pitch, where a female referee in a hijab is the norm and where a mother can breastfeed her baby with a ball at her feet.
The 90-second film, which encourages people and players to do what they really want and to ignore the haters, features a strong line-up of global football stars and Nike endorsers including Pernille Harder, Sara Däbritz, Azeem Amir and Natalia Gaitán, as well the NGO Football Beyond Borders, Alesia FC, the referee JJ Roble and the young footballer and YouTuber Lorenzo Greer ‘Tekkerz Kid’.
England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford also plays the leading role. Rashford is not only famous for his skills and goals, but also for his recent commitment and campaign to support disadvantaged children through food, health and literacy initiatives. He has become a figurehead for a new generation of footballers who are committed to using their fame to solve social problems.
Comment:
This somewhat grandiose, but still superb Nike spot imagines a different, new football where tolerance, diversity and inclusion are the norm
Sadly, Nike’s imagined footballing space remains something to aspire to and work towards rather than something already in existence. After all, the Euros show that the sport is still mired by hatred and has seen players booed to taking the knee, attacked for their skin colour and sexuality.
Nelson Mandela famously said that “sport has the power to change the world”, but all we ask is that sport starts by making major moves to change itself.
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