The question, “Where are you really from?” is often fraught, especially for the more than 100 million displaced people around the world.
A film from Nike about its support of the International Olympic Committee Refugee Olympic Team at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games argues that athletic feats are a more significant defining factor than place of birth or past traumas.
The 60-second spot by agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam stars boxer Cindy Ngamba, who in March became the first member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team to join Nike’s athlete roster.
“You ask me where I’m really from?” she says, looking at the camera as thunder crashes, revealing a picture of a young Ngamba, who left Cameroon at age 11. “I’m from the ring.”
She is part of a montage of other refugee athletes in training, underscoring that they are defined by their dedication and resilience.
“I’m from losing my flag, my country and my home, but never giving up. That’s where we are really from. Now watch where we are going,” Ngamba concludes.
The ad will run across YouTube, Meta and TikTok.
Nike partnered with the Olympic Refuge Foundation in 2023 to support its Paris-based program, Terrains d’Avenir, which gives women and girls more access to sports and provides coaches with resources to work with displaced community members who have often experienced trauma.
As part of the collaboration, Nike is also sponsoring the uniforms for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and the Refugee Athlete Scholarship Program.
“With a shared belief that all kids should have access to play, we’re committed to removing barriers by providing displaced girls in Paris with strong, caring mentors and coaches who can empower them with a lifetime of confidence,” Nike chief social and community impact officer Vanessa Garcia-Brito said in a statement.
