Nike is out to prove to people that they can do whatever they set their hearts to do. It’s Wieden + Kenndy’s job to make that happen, which it is doing with a content series called, Unlimited. The Unlimited series began before the Rio Olympics with the quirky film of a coach’s speech to athlete babies like baby Selena Williams, baby Neymar Jr, baby LeBron James, Baby Mo Farah and baby Zhou Qi, about how life is. And a series of profiles detailing the determination that turned those babies into grown-up athletes.
The series has grown and developed during the Olympics. It talks now with a very different, and more personal tone of voice. Unlimited You is classic W+K friendly. And archetypal W+K engaging. It is also finding more unusual [interesting, perhaps?] subjects.
The next film after Unlimited You, Unlimited Courage, could have been seen as a stunt. There has been a great deal of celebrating transgender courage in the media in the last twelve months.
But Wieden + Kennedy’s ad finesse allowed the story of Chris Mosier’s determination to become the first openly trans athlete to earn a spot on a US men’s national team, to avoid being sensationalism first.
Mosier’s full story is told on his web page, again to inspire not provoke.
And now there’s Unlimited Youth, which could be seen as another freak show celebration in a year that had, for example, a 100 year old fashion model star in a Harvey Nichols campaign in Vogue.
But again Wieden + Kennedy’s flair for making ads engaging makes Unlimited Youth Sister Madonna Buder sidestep voyeurism and find a natural seat in inspiring. If the aim is to make Nike audience’s appreciate – and want to emulate – the nun’s determination to defy conventional conceptions of age, job done well, Wieden + Kennedy.
Youth has no age limit.https://t.co/VPOAoWQb9J
— Nike (@Nike) August 12, 2016
Sister Buder completed her first first IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in Hawaii in 1985, at the age 65. At 75, the American nun became the oldest woman to ever complete an IRONMAN triathlon. At 82, she set a world record as the oldest IRONMAN triathlon competitor. Today, at 86 years old, she has completed over 40 IRONMAN races. Each includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.
Her full story is told on her web page.
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