W+K Portland Creates ‘Ripple’ for Nike Golf

At the end of February, W+K Portland released an ad for Nike Golf called “Why Change?” featuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, among a host of other athletes. Now, Woods and McIlroy are back for a new spot, released in 60 and 120-second versions, exploring the nature of athletic idols inspiring young athletes.

The ad, entitled “Ripple” tells the story of McIlroy as a dedicated young golfer who looks up to Woods as his hero. He watches Woods on TV with hypnotic awe, and practices his game relentlessly. A young McIlroy hits a plastic ball around the house, as he ages he is so devoted to the game he’ll practice driving in the pouring rain and beg his father to let him hit a few more as it gets dark. It ends with McIlroy now a proffesional golfer, playing alongside his idol. While “Why Change?” took a humorous approach, complete with sarcastic narration from Key & Peele’s Keegan-Michael Key, “Ripple” instead goes for emotion, based on the insight that athletic idolatry creates a ripple effect, with one generation inspiring the next.

“It’s been an incredible journey for me, going from massive fan to competitor,” said McIlroy, in a statement. “To think that not too long ago I was that little boy watching him on TV to where I am now. It’s been a cool journey and I’m very lucky I get to compete with and against him, because he inspired me as a kid and he inspires me now. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ve been in that same situation,” added Woods. “Growing up, Jack [Nicklaus] was my idol. My first recollection of The Masters was 1986, when Jack won. I remember him making a putt at 17 and lifting that putter up. Fourteen years later at the 2000 PGA Championship, I got to play with and against him – someone I looked up to.”

(The campaign is particularly relevant given the fact that Woods fell out of the Official World Golf Rankings’ Top 100 last week for the first time since 1996.)

Credits:

W+K PORTLAND

Creative Directors Chris Groom / Stuart Brown

Copywriter Brock Kirby

Art Director Derrick Ho

Producer Jeff Selis

Interactive Strategy Reid Schilperoort

Strategic Planning Andy Lindblade / Brandon Thornton

Media/Comms Planning Alex Dobson / Jocelyn Reist

Account Team Alyssa Ramsey / Rob Archibald / Heather Morba / Ramiro Del-Cid

Business Affaires Dusty Slowik

Project Management Nancy Rea

Executive Creative Directors Joe Staples / Mark Fitzloff

Head of Production Ben Grylewicz

PRODUCTION

Production Company Biscuit Filmworks

Director Steve Rogers

Executive Producer Holly Vega

Line Producer Vincent Landay

Director of Photography Nicolas Karakatsanis

EDITORIAL

Editorial Company Joint Editorial

Editor Peter Wiedensmith

Post Producer Leslie Carthy

Post Executive Producer Patty Brebner

VFX

VFX Company The Mill

VFX Supervisor Tim Davies

Flame Artist

VFX Producer Will Lemmon

Titles/Graphics

MUSIC + SOUND DESIGN

Music+Sound Company

Composer Ludovico Einaudi

Sound Designer

Song (if applicable) Nuvole Bianche

Producer

DIGITAL / INTERACTIVE

CONTENT TYPE Online Media

LAUNCH DATE 4/5-12/15

DURATION 1.5 weeks

W+K PORTLAND

Creative Director Chris Groom / Stuart Brown

Copywriter Brock Kirby

Art Director Derrick Ho

Producer Jeff Selis

Interactive Strategy Reid Schilperoort

Strategic Planning Andy Lindblade / Brandon Thornton

Media/Comms Planning Alex Dobson / Jocelyn Reist

Account Team Alyssa Ramsey / Rob Archibald / Heather Morba / Ramiro Del-Cid

Executive Creative Directors Joe Staples / Mark Fitzloff

Agency Executive Producer Ben Grylewicz

Digital Designer Rob Mumford

Exec Interactive Producer Patrick Marzullo

Content Producer Byron Oshiro

Broadcast Jeff Selis

Art Buying Amy Berriochoa

Photographer Luke Delong

W+K Portland Asks ‘Why Change?’ for Nike Golf

W+K Portland launched a 30-second, celebrity-filled new spot for Nike Golf’s Vapor driver.

Entitled “Why Change?” the ad promotes the Nike Vapor’s improved technology as being able to improve your game, no matter how good you are. It features appearances from athletes Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley, Rory McIlroy, Michelle Wie and Bo Jackson. Even the voiceover has star power, provided by comedian Keegan-Michael Key (of Key and Peele), who seems to be making the rounds in advertising lately. Key informs each athlete that, with the Vapor, they can improve their game, even if Barkley insists his swing is perfect. The approach is handled well, with Key’s expert comedic timing helping W+K to pull off the humorous spot. Plus, it’s really nice to see Bo Jackson getting some love.

“Why Change?” launched yesterday and will run on broadcast for two weeks. It is supported by a digital/interactive initiative, running until March 8th.

Credits:

W+K PORTLAND

Creative Directors: Chris Groom / Stuart Brown

Copywriter: Brock Kirby

Art Director: Derrick Ho

Producer: Jeff Selis

Interactive Strategy: Reid Schilperoort

Strategic Planning: Andy Lindblade/Brandon Thornton

Media/Comms Planning: Alex Dobson/Jocelyn Reist

Account Team: Alyssa Ramsey/Rob Archibald/Heather Morba/Ramiro Del-Cid

Business Affaires: Dusty Slowik

Project Management: Nancy Rea

Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples/Mark Fizloff

Head of Production: Ben Grylewicz

PRODUCTION

Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks

Director: Steve Rogers

Executive Producer: Holly Vega

Line Producer: Vincent Landay

Director of Photography: Nicolas Karakatsanis

EDITORIAL

Editorial Company: Joint Editorial

Editor: Matthew Hilber

Post Producer: Leslie Carthy

Post Executive Producer: Patty Brebner

VFX

VFX Company: The Mill

VFX Supervisor: Tim Davies

VFX Producer: Will Lemmon

MUSIC + SOUND DESIGN

Music+Sound Company: Barking Owl

DIGITAL / INTERACTIVE

W+K PORTLAND

Creative Director: Chris Groom/Stuart Brown

Copywriter: Brock Kirby

Art Director: Derrick Ho

Producer: Jeff Selis

Interactive Strategy: Reid Schilperoort

Strategic Planning: Andy Lindblade/Brandon Thornton

Media/Comms Planning: Alex Dobson/Jocelyn Reist

Account Team: Alyssa Ramsey/Rob Archibald/Heather Morba/Ramiro Del-Cid

Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples/Mark Fitzloff

Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz

Digital Designer: Rob Mumford

Exec Interactive Producer: Patrick Marzullo

Content Producer: Byron Oshiro/Sarah Gamazo

Broadcast: Jeff Selis

Art Buying: Amy Berriochoa

Photographer: Henrique Plantikow

Interactive Studio Artist: Adam Sirkin, Oliver Rokoff

Rory McIlroy Battles a Robot in Chipper Ad for Golf’s European Tour

This ad for golf's European Tour pits Northern Irish phenom Rory McIlroy against a wise-cracking golf-ball-hitting robot named Jeff in a contest to see who can chip the most balls into washing machines on a driving range. (As a kid, McIlroy practiced this way for some reason. Perhaps he was raised in a laundromat.) "Losing to a robot is a bit like losing to Martin Kaymer," Jeff quips. Golf humor—as lame as the game itself. When a washer lights up and sounds like a pinball machine, the bot asks, "Is that the same noise you heard when you signed your sportswear contract?" Yeah, paying Rory $100 million to wear the Swoosh and battle better-known cyborgs is much better than feeding starving people around the world. Thanks, Nike! The video has gone viral with almost 2 million views in four days. The washing-machine imagery is goofily memorable, but the video's four-minute running time feels like 40 minutes to me. McIlroy giggles incessantly. I kept hoping the robot would chip the guy into one of the washers, or maybe tear off his arms and use them as clubs. I guess we'll have to wait until Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia are paired up again to see something like that on a golf course.