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CAMPAIGN in association with
What ad campaign has stood out for you in recent
weeks or months? That’s the question we put to our
four guest reviewers
TalkingPOINTS
Nike — Next Level
Directed by Guy Ritchie and developed by Amsterdam-based agency
72andsunny, the current campaign for Nike Football is supported by print, online
content, television, cinema and outdoor components. The cornerstone of the
campaign and its tagline is revealed in a two-minute film, which premiered
internationally on 29 April, coinciding with the Champions League semi-final
between Manchester United and FC Barcelona.
Not since the Honda Accord piece ‘Cogs’ have I been so engrossed in a TV ad —
from the very start I was sold! Apart from being visually fantastic, this marks a wel-
come move away from football ads of old. The previous formula was, basically, take
five or six of the current star players, pay them a ton of cash, stick them in a non-
typical football environment, let them show off their skills for a while and then finish
with ‘brought to you by sports brand X’.
While this formula worked really well at first, it simply wore out. By the end, it was
beginning to lack any real insight and in some cases was just plain ridiculous. This ad
is different. It’s real. It acknowledges and plays on the desire of most 13 year olds (and
even some 30 year olds) to be a professional footballer by putting them right in the
action both on and off the pitch — all from the comfort of their armchair. And for a
brand like Nike, getting sports-obsessed adolescents on side from an early age is
surely part of the game plan.
What Nike has done brilliantly here is bring some credibility and excitement back
into football (which is a lot more that can be said about the premiership of late). The
only problem it has now is can it take the next ad to the next level? Hopefully.
Ronan O’Donoghue is account director at
DDFH&B Advertising.
40 Marketing Age May/June ‘08
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