Nike is not an official sponsor of the FIFA Women's World Cup, which starts Friday, but the brand has "made its usual splash leading up to the tournament with a breathtaking and inspiring ad featuring some of the sport's global stars," according to Doug Zanger of ADWEEK. The three-minute spot from Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, "continues the brand's 'Dream Crazy' positioning (the title of the spot is 'Dream Further') and features a slew of top athletes" from Nike-sponsored soccer federations. The ad introduces 10-year-old California soccer player Makena Cooke, who "hangs on for a wild ride of scenarios" where she is "running hand-in-hand with the players as a metaphor for how the current crop of stars will lead the next generation into the future." The ad's "inspiring ending" pits Cooke against the USWNT and F Crystal Dunn, as the young player serves Australian F Sam Kerr with a "perfect assist for a goal." The spot is "certainly an exciting and pointed celebration of the sport and tournament," and it is "great to see so many players that may not be household names in this country get a bigger spotlight" (ADWEEK.com, 6/3). In London, Sabrina Barr noted Netherlands MF Lieke Martens, England F Fran Kirby, South Korea MF Ji So-Yun, Brazil F Andressa Alves and China MF Wang Shuang also appear in the spot (INDEPENDENT.co.uk, 6/2).
FRESH TAKE: FAST COMPANY's Jeff Beer noted this is not the "first time the swoosh has dropped wide-eyed young kids among the world's top soccer talent" in a commercial. However, despite the "familiar format, it's refreshing to give it a female twist, with an added bonus of tying the whole thing back to the brand's ongoing 'Dream Crazy' campaign" (FASTCOMPANY.com, 6/1).
