Durban - American multinational corporation Nike released a new advert this week that has left the world in awe.
Twitter was in a frenzy with the public commenting on Nike’s new “masterpiece”.
The ad was produced by marketing agency Wieden+Kennedy, based in Portland, Oregon, USA.
According to reports online, the team from Wieden+Kennedy researched almost 4,000 sports action sequences and chose 72 of them to combine into 36 split-screen moments where the action on both sides appears to meld into one.
The script was written by copywriter Dylan Lee and narrated by soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
The advert features a host of professional athletes, including LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick and South African athlete Caster Semenya.
The message behind the video is about the power of sports and its ability to unify people.
Nothing can stop what we can do together. You can’t stop sport. Because #YouCantStopUs.
— Nike (@Nike) July 30, 2020
Join Us | https://t.co/fQUWzDVH3q pic.twitter.com/YAig7FIL6G
This follows the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, which has since cast a dark cloud over the future of sports.
The video also highlights social injustices that are faced by women, the LGBTQ society and black people around the world.
"When things aren't fair, we'll come together for change," says Rapinoe, as American-football player Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem, which was a stance in protest against racial inequality and police brutality in America.
Another highlight is when Rapinoe says: “When we’re doubted, we’ll play as one”, and the ad shows world champion tennis players and sisters Venus and Serena Williams side by side.
Some #ads are simply brilliant #art ! The new #Nike #commercial has #brokentheinternet An #editing #masterpiece by Wieden+Kennedy, it highlights the #power of #sport & how it has the ability 2 bring us together 2 become #agentsofchange . Nothing can stop what we can do together. pic.twitter.com/rZ2sXtIasL
— Ashish Malik (@ashishmalik1) August 2, 2020
Entire books could be written about this 4 second clip from the new nike ad pic.twitter.com/dIadAMlfde
— Brendan Fraser Crane (@bf_crane) July 30, 2020
Nike’s advertising throughout the years has made waves in the media; however, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the company appears to have upped its "game".
In late March, during the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak, the company started the “play home, play safe” campaign, which was also developed by Wieden+Kennedy.
"If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance. Play inside, play for the world," the campaign read.
African News Agency/ANA