Nike: Take It To The Next Level
Nike just released the full version (2 minutes) of a spot for the upcoming UEFA 2008 European Championship football. The ‘Take It To The Next Level’ commercial is directed by Guy Ritchy and shows a first person journey through several teams and players, including Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder, Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marco Materazzi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Nani and Arsene Wenger.
Brilliant.
Brilliant indeed.
This is what advertising is supposed to make you do: sit up, be impressed and remember the brand name.
For me, this is an outstanding memorable ad.
What football fan hasn’t always dreamt of being part of the action?!
Pros: nice quick cuts for the tweener set and fun to see athletes “acting”
Cons: Bad hair band style song and confusing storyline
What happened to Nike ads that actually had some insight or a message or seemed like intelligent people put them together? This ad has not one thing that steps above the thought level of a 13 year old.
what’s confusing about this ad?
it shows a dude playing football, being watched by an important football guy that takes him to a team in the premier league, it shows how he’s beaten twice by great players and how he gets better by training and gets up to the national team, scoring in the same way he does when he was being watched…
@Booter your point regarding the “Con” of the ad is actually what makes it perfectly insightful… every one of us is a 13 year old at heart, day dreaming of playing with the best at the highest level. this spot does a great job of taking the viewer there and putting them in the “boots”. it’s TV that engages. very rare these days.
and nike can afford to do that b/c the rest of their marketing is done so well (minus the awful Kobe “viral” video) that their TV doesnt always have to be about product features and benefits.
I agree with Mookie that Nike’s marketing is mostly spot on. What I don’t get about this ad is the complete lack of the subtlety Nike is usually known for. Why so many logos? There’s about 400 of them. Why such annoying hair band music? And can’t we dream about being one of the best players in the world without pulling down dudes shorts and treating women like ass? It’s like Nike let Guy Ritchie toss away 20 years of class and make “Rock Jock and One Puking Player”.
@ Arturo
I could be wrong, but I believe that in the final game he is still playing for Arsenal and those are their alternate jerseys rather than being the national team.
@ Yoyo, No the national team he is playing for at the end is Holland, in a game playing Portugal.
excellent ad and i think the music is spot on
I like the music too…heavy American band perfect for Euros football. But after this confusing ending what happens next? More story or is this it?
What is this music??
Anyone knows?
Every ad has a target audience… this one obviously football fanatics. So this hits the spot sweetly.
To understand this ad is to love football first.
No Cons.. JUST GREAT!
The name of the song is Don’t Speak by Eagles Of Death Metal
After reading all your comments, in my opinion, I agree with UB
Come 2010 we are gonna have a party
And the song does Rock
The song makes me want to shake my moneymaker. And the ad makes me wish oh wish oh wish I were a professional athlete in any sport. Who doesn’t want to be a pro athlete? The girls and the money are awesome.
Are you kidding??? This ad is some of the best stuff I’ve seen EVER! And yet you complain about the ad showing some dude`s shorts being pulled down or women treated like ass?!?! Obviously you have never been part of a soccer team because these things are as normal as they get. And so what if there is a little stereotype in the commercial? I think that both the people at Nike and Guy Ritchie have a sense that they are joking around, and trust the viewers` intellingence to realize that. Quit being so sensitive the ad rules!
I agree with Marco. Nike should start doing ads all about locker room antics and pro athlete shenanigans… all to the backdrop of heavy metal music. It will be great for Adidas business.
Superb. I’m not a fan of football or Nike but this ad is just inspiring. It makes me want to write better ads!!!
Could this ad possibly be following some of Robin Van Persie’s story? I ask this due to the player in the ad playing for Arsenal then being called up to the international stage for the Netherlands.
The song is “Don’t Speak (I came to make a bang)” by Eagles of Death Metal
at arturo, you’re wrong man, no alternate jerseys, its netherlands vs. portugal.
does anyone know this girl, who is driving with him in the limo?
I love football and hate Nike, but this ad makes me want to love both equally! One of the best ads I have ever seen. Every time I watch it, I want to go outside and play another football match with my friends. Absolutely brilliant! And the music is spot on. Anyone who doesn’t love this ad doesn’t love football. It’s as simple as that.
At fisrt I thought it was Van Persie also but VP is left footed and the player in the commercial it right footed. But the commercial is probably one of the best commercials I have ever seen!!
Love this commercial. In the part where he gets blind sided by that guy and falls to the ground it always reminds me of playing soccer. Soccer>American football.