Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on Nov. 20, sportswear brand Nike released their latest soccer campaign, “Footballverse.”
To celebrate soccer players of the past and present, “Footballverse” features a four-minute spot highlighting the athletes’ skills through an imaginary universe where they all compete together to answer the debate of who’s best. The campaign aims to further emphasize Nike’s long-standing belief that the future of sports has unlimited potential as they encourage a new generation of soccer players to push themselves.
“Footballverse” also shows that every generation of athletes makes a unique impact on both the game and the fans they hope to inspire.
The epic spot begins with a group of scientists teleporting French soccer player Kylian Mbappe into a testing room alongside Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, who has been digitally de-aged to look as he did in 2006. The scientist then tells the athletes they’ve designed a test to determine who is better between Mbappe and Ronaldinho.
The lab then shifts into a full-on football match as they each player flaunts their skills to Oingo Boingo’s 1985 classic “Weird Science.” The spot continues with a dozen elite Nike athletes, including Cristiano Ronaldo and women all-stars Sam Kerr and Alex Morgan.
Running towards the goal
For Nike, the “Footballverse” is only one part of the brand’s overall goal joining soccer at the forefront of diversity and culture. The brand’s redesigned 2022 men’s National Team collection of jerseys and shorts, which boast of a modern Dri-FIT design, is an item that the brand is pushing heavily this season.
“With 5 billion fans across the globe, no other sport brings people together more than football,” Scott Dixon, vice president of global men’s football at Nike, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re committed to bringing our best to the world’s biggest stage—and everywhere else—and building the most joyful, brilliant Nike football community ever.”
https://www.adweek.com/creativity/nike-world-cup-ad-unites-soccer-legends/