WATCH | Nike’s latest ad leaves people in awe

American multinational corporation Nike released a new advert last week that has left the world in awe.

Twitter was in a frenzy on Thursday, with the public commenting on Nike’s new “masterpiece”.

The ad was produced by marketing agency Wieden+Kennedy, based in Portland, Oregon, USA.

According to reports online, the team from Wieden+Kennedy researched almost 4,000 sports action sequences and chose 72 of them to combine into 36 split-screen moments where the action on both sides appears to meld into one.

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The script was written by copywriter Dylan Lee and narrated by soccer star Megan Rapinoe.

The advert features a host of professional athletes, including LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick and South African athlete Caster Semenya.

The message behind the video is about the power of sports and its ability to unify people.

Nike on Thursday reported an unexpected quarterly loss hurt by closures of department and retail stores due to lockdowns spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Photo: File

This follows the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, which has since cast a dark cloud over the future of sports.

The video also highlights social injustices that are faced by women, the LGBTQ society and black people around the world.

“When things aren’t fair, we’ll come together for change,” said Rapinoe, as American-football player Colin Kaepernick kneels during the national anthem, which was a stance in protest against racial inequality and police brutality in America.

The other portrayal of brilliance came when Rapinoe said, “When we’re doubted, we’ll play as one”, and showed world champion tennis players and sisters Venus and Serena Williams side by side.

Nike’s advertising throughout the years has made waves in the media; however, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the company appears to have upped its “game”.

In late March, during the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak, the company started the “play home, play safe” campaign, which was also developed by Wieden+Kennedy.

“If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance. Play inside, play for the world,” the campaign read.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions:

Watch this.
Get chills.
•And know that in sports, in the softball world, and in the community we will, … -I will continue to drive positive change. #YouCantStopUs ⁦@Nike⁩ pic.twitter.com/YMujHw6yTE

— Monica Abbott (@monicaabbott) July 30, 2020