Nike Anthem Celebrates the Resilience and Ambitions of Refugee Olympians

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.

CREDITS

Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam
President: Eleanor Thodey
Chief creative officer: Susan Hoffman
Chief strategy officer: Nick Docherty
Creative directors: Craig Williams, Evgeny Primachenko
Art director: Ana Blanes
Copywriter: Maya Halilovic
Head of production: Jaime Tan
Senior producer lead: Khalid El Khouani
Producers: Salt Ibraeva, Stephane Fevrier
Planning director: Jasper Hunter
Planner: Ipek Tosun
Head of communications planning: Elsa Stahura
Communications planning director: Anna Chan
Communications planner: Hayeon Kim
Group account director: Franky Wardell
Account director: Hannah Heidar
Account manager: Isaac Chukwumah
Account executive: Amber Paris Montalvo
Senior design manager: Joe Favre
Designer: Lucille Fenouil
Head of business affairs: Michael Graves
Business affairs manager: Fiona Fan

Film Production
Production company: 100%
Director: Vellas
Director of photography: Farhad Ghaderi
Producer: Natalie Wetherell
Executive producer: Job Sanders
Company owner: Gijs Determeijer
Production manager: Stuart Butterworth
Service production company Spain: Rebolucion
Service production Kenya: Ginger Ink

Offline Editing
Editing company: Trim
Editor: Fouad Gaber
Assistant editors: Helena Teixeira, Anders Mills
Offline producer: Polly Kemp

Audio Post
Sound company: Grand Central Recording Studios
Sound designer/mixer: Raja Seghal
Additional sound design: Tom Keats

Music for Main Anthem Film
Artist/title: Written and performed by Cliff Martinez and Mac Quayle
Music publishing/master recording: Published by Gaumont/Wild Bunch/Editions La
Marguerite/Velvetica Music/Collect! Music Publishers B.V.
Music production: Mr Pape

Post Production
VFX lead: Guillaume Weiss
VFX artist: James Marshall
Colorist: Tom Mangham
Producer: Holly Tidwell

Print Production
Photographer: Christopher Anderson
Producer: Olivia Gideon-Thomson

Editorial Content Production
Production company: Joint Amsterdam
Executive producer: Khalid El Khouani
Producer: Salt Ibraeva
Director: Al Lewis
Director of photography: Mario Karner
Photographer: Bas van Est
Editors: Francesca Giunta, Mario Karner
VFX supervisor: Ricky Weissman
Colorist: Joppo
Sound designer: Juan Pablo Thummler