The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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Client: Nike
Date: Sep 2018
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Nike is continuing its run of ads celebrating its ‘Just Do It’ slogan with a campaign celebrating the innate talent of middle-distance runner Caster Semenya, who was subjected to sex testing in 2009.

The International Association of Athletics Federations scrutinised the South African Olympian for her unnaturally quick pace, a talent that was attributed to her high levels of naturally occurring testosterone.

Nike’s latest work twists the questions regarding the fairness of her competing against other women with the statement: ‘When you’re born to do it, just do it.’

The latest film from the sports brand follows Semenya throughout her life: from her first steps as a baby to winning an international race. Yet from the moment her Nike trainer crosses the finish line, the film begins rewinding in slow motion.

Semenya’s journey to gold plays backwards as her voiceover asks: “Would it be easier for you if I wasn’t so fast? Would it be simpler if I stopped winning? Would you be more comfortable if I was less proud? Would you prefer if I hadn’t worked so hard, or just didn’t run? Or chose a different sport? Or stopped at my first steps?

“That’s too bad because I was born to do this.”

Nike hopes the film from director AG Rojas will convey a ‘sense of tenacity’. The spot was created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, which also produced a double-page print ad as part of the campaign.

The latter was printed as a double page spread in South African newspaper WHAT. The copy, which appears in the wake of Semenya’s speed, reads: ‘Too fast? Too bad.’

Credits

Executive Creative Director: Eric Quennoy, Mark Bernath

Creative Director; Evgeny Primachenko, Hannah Smit, Craig Williams

Art Director: Teresa Montenegro

Copywriter: Christopher Cryer

Head of Production: Joe Togneri

Executive Producer Broadcast: Michael MacMillan

Broadcast Producer: Magda Czyz

Executive Producer Art: Maud Klarenbeek

Art Producer: Kate Barrett, Stacey Prudden

Planning Director: Stephane Missier

Communications Planner Director: Hillary Heath

Group Account Director: Kathryn Addo

Account Director: Amber Martin

Account Manager: Cassandre Beck, Molly Rugg

Head of Design: Joe Burrin

Studio Director: Lizzie Murray

Designer: Gustav von Platen

Studio Artist: Noa Redero

Project Manager: Loes Poot

Business Affairs: Fiona Fan

PRODUCTION COMPANY: PARK PICTURES

Director: AG Rojas

Director of Photography: Rina Yang

Producer: Nick Goldsmith

Executive Producer: Stephen Brierley

EDITING COMPANY: TRIM EDITING

Editor: Dominic Leung

Editor Assistant: Dave Davis

Producer: Tatyana Alexandra

AUDIO POST: WAVE STUDIOS

Sound Designers; Ed Downham, Alex Nicholls-Lee

MUSIC

Artist: Cam Ballantyne

Title: Caster

Studio: Beatworms

POST PRODUCTION: GLASSWORKS AMSTERDAM

VFX Supervisor / Lead compositor: Kyle Obley

Compositor: Jan van de Laar

On set VFX Supervisor: George Webster

Colourist: Scott Harris

Executive Producer: Anya Kruzmetra

Production Coordinator: Salt Ibraeva