Hasta La Ideas

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agencies when preparing a major campaign like this, when injury or a player simply not being picked can make an ad seem out of date before it’s even released.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