Nike is winning the hearts of London youth by showing that it understands and supports them.
“Endlessly enterprising and fiercely competitive, young Londoners shape sport and culture in the metropolis around them.”
Young Londoners do it the hard way, according to Wieden + Kennedy London. In the new campaign, Nothing beats a Londoner, those who do sport show off “what they got” and what they have to overcome to have it.
Of course, because its agency is W+K, that is presented in an edgy and unique way. In the style of a hip-hop battle.
The film was shot on the streets of London. “In the very neighbourhoods that will produce the next Skepta, Dina Asher-Smith or Harry Kane,” W+K noted – areas such as Dalston, Peckham and Brixton.
258 real-life Londoners from all walks of life feature in the film, which is full of swagger and brimming with passion for sport. The predominantly London-born-and-bred cast is made up of real athletes as well as famous faces, from sporting legends to music stars, including Mo Farah, Harry Kane, Dina Asher-Smith, Gareth Southgate and Skepta.
“The side of London explored in Nothing Beats a Londoner illustrates how, for the next generation, an urban environment is a playground, a canvas for creativity, self-expression and movement,” Wieden + Kennedy noted in its statement.
“Nike London is committed to making this playground even better for young people in the city, creating unique inspirational experiences that help them unlock their potential through the power of sport.”
Wieden+Kennedy London creative directors, Paddy Treacy and Mark Shanley, commented, “Nothing Beats a Londoner champions a special, unbeatable attitude we’ve discovered in the UK’s capital. The campaign is from London, for London, and celebrates the next generation of sporting stars against a city backdrop thriving with a culture of sport in every street, park and building.
Because young Londoners are the campaign’s focus, it was launched through their social channels. Each of the athletes was given their scene as a standalone piece of content, which they posted on Instagram, linking to the next competitor to create a massive social media battle between some of London’s best young athletes – in line with the tone of the campaign. Soon after, the edits were amplified by the famous faces who also star in the campaign. The full version of the film will now be broadcast from February 9 across TV, cinema and online.
“Despite the star cameos, the creative flips the traditional model and holds kids up as the inspiration for all – championing them, their spirit and incredible athlete mindset,” Treacy and Shanley added.
The TVC and content was directed by collective Megaforce, who have created films for artists and brands including Rihanna, Madonna and Instagram. Production was managed by Riff Raff Films.
The soundtrack further concretes the idea of competition. Each young Londoner is competing with the last so each has their very own piece of the soundtrack . The music, therefore, draws influences from all genres – a classical score to grime to a wurlitzer organ. The team scoured all of London to create a melee of tracks closer to a movie soundtrack than a commercial, starting with Skepta’s iconic Shutdown in North London and travelling all the way to West London to find Kurupt FM, the resurrector of garage.
