Hasta La Creative!

While last Friday’s “Unlimited Will” spot was the final entry in W+K Portland’s contribution to Nike’s “Unlimited” campaign, it appears the brand had one more final effort in the campaign. Nike worked with production company Dirty Robber (who worked on last month’s “Unlimited Serena Williams“) on “Unlimited Pursuit,” which, to its benefit, doesn’t attempt the meta voiceover approach of its W+K-crafted predecessors.

Instead, the spot relies on the actions of its impressive athletes: Scout Bassett, Simone Biles, Elena Delle Donne, Gabby Douglas, Allyson Felix, Dafne Schippers, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, English Gardner, Alex Morgan and Serena Williams. Set to Lissie‘s cover of Kid Cudi‘s “Pursuit of Happiness,” the spot documents each of its athletes in training. Needless to say, these women pull of some impressive feats while preparing for competition, with “Pursuit of Happiness” providing appropriate accompaniment and the actions resonating more absent the schticky voiceover gimmick.

It’s the kind of spot that could only really be pulled off at the conclusion of games, as viewers are now familiar with all these athletes and their stories. The spot functions as a reminder of the kind of hard work and determination that got these impressive athletes to where they are, with no need to deliberate on individual narratives.

Its focus on celebrating women athletes is an admirable one, particularly at a time when the different ways in which female and male athletes are covered is under scrutiny. Plus, Biles’ glance after sticking a perfect landing is a pretty ideal way to conclude the campaign.

Credits:
Nike Creative Director: Tad Greenough
Production Company/Agency: Dirty Robber
Exec Prod: Jason Puris
Exec Prod: Chris Uettwiller
Creative director: Martin Desmond Roe & Nick Frew
Post production Company: Coyote Post
Post production supervisor: Carlos Gonzalez
Editor: Celeste Diamos

Agency Greens & Salad teamed up with global production company Great Guns for a stylish, star-studded new ad for Nike Flyknit.

Entitled “Light. Strong. Nike Flyknit,” the 1:20 spot was directed by Paul Shearer and Vincent Laforet, and features Kobe Bryant, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix, decathlon world record holder Ashton Eaton, and world champion distance runner Mo Farah. The spot withholds any dialogue or voiceover, instead relying on footage of its star athletes training in their Nike Flyknits delivered with a visual flair (courtesy of “a Red Epic and Phantom camera, on a combination of tracking vehicles, Movi and Steadicam rigs”) to make its product look good. Kobe takes center stage, both the first and last athlete featured, but otherwise screen time is share fairly equitably. The spot debuted globally this week, in anticipation of the Super Bowl and the NBA All Star Game (for which voting results were just revealed).

If the Nike Flyknit spot has whet your appetite for more Richard Sherman, never fear. Stay tuned for a timely Beats ad featuring the Seahawks star cornerback, along with credits for “Light. Strong. Nike Flyknit” after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.