NIKE “MY TIME IS NOW” CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES HUNGER OF A NEW GENERATION TO TAKE ITS CHANCE ON FOOTBALL’S BIGGEST STAGE
“Don’t tell me I have potential” is the rallying insight behind the new Nike Football “My Time is Now” campaign. The campaign launches with a new film on May 18th that features a global roster of the world’s best players, and celebrates the hunger and impatience of young players ready to tear up the rule book to make their mark in football’s elite ranks.
The film, which debuts on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and nikefootball.com for the first time on May 18th, will also be on TV on May 19th during the European Club Final. Featuring many of the elite players who will battle it out in Poland and Ukraine, and later this summer, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Wesley Sneijder, Franck Ribery, Mario Götze, Mesut Özil, Yann M’Vila, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck. Special guest appearances are made by Pep Guardiola, Lauren Blanc and basketball superstar LeBron James.
As the action unfolds, viewers can experience content in a unique interactive way through hidden tunnels designed to share athlete insights about their hunger to succeed and inspire young athletes to be better footballers. The My Time is Now film will be available at http://www.youtube.com/user/NikeFootball/mytimeisnow
“Young players will stop at nothing to prove they’re good enough to play with the best in the game,” said Carlos Homedes, NIKE, Global Football Marketing Director. “Their hunger and impatience to take a chance is playfully apparent in the “My Time is Now” campaign . A new generation of players is taking their chance and this summer will mark an exciting time as they burst onto the scene inPolandandUkraine.”
We first join a France vs Holland match that is suddenly interrupted by wave after wave of young players, who invade the pitch, ready to show they have the skills and hunger to take on the world’s best. Defined by their impatience and distinctive black and white uniform, they reflect the players Nike is looking for through “The Chance” which is a global talent search for young players to prove themselves on an elite stage and take their game to the next level.
As the young players take their chance they are joined by football’s new generation and iconic stars as the game heats up. Neymar dazzles with his blinding skills and faints, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta, complete in corporate suits from a stuffy boardroom meeting, join the play on pitch. Even Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to pull on the distinctive black and white uniform sported by the young players, but he’s out of luck as the last remaining jersey is a small size. He wears it anyway, ready to join the game.
Also unveiled in the campaign is the Nike Clash Collection of boots worn by elite players for the biggest moments on pitch and clash of rivalries and games this summer. Nike’s Mercurial Vapor VIII, CTR360 Maestri II, T90 Laser IV and Tiempo Legend IV boots will feature performance innovation and color clash design of traditional white with a bold second color signifying each boots style to stand out on pitch.
Nike’s search for the best global young talent: ‘The Chance’ runs in 55 countries through May-August. The best 100 players wil take part in global finals at FC Barcelona’s famed youth academy. The best 16 players will then embark on the ultimate training tour of the most renowned academy teams in world football, including Manchester United, Juventus and a U.S. Youth National Team during a once-in-a-lifetime four week tour. One player will earn a place at the Nike Academy, now in its second year in partnership with the Premier League, based in the United Kingdom.
The Nike Clash Collection will be available at retail and Nikestore.com June 6th.
The “My Time is Now” film is part of a broader Nike Football brand campaign that features extensive digital, out-of-home and print executions celebrating iconic global players and aspiring footballers hungry to break into the elite game.
MY TIME IS NOW – AV STORY NARRATIVE
Dramatic stadium shots sweep us into the frenzy as a tight game unfolds. Wesley Sneijder delivers a pin point cross and bursting between two French international defenders is a young player literally meeting the ball from nowhere with a goal bound header. Sneijder looks perplexed, commentators scramble for their game notes. Hugo Lloris, the French goalkeeper, makes a finger tip save on to the bar. The young player, unknown until now, has arrived.
As Pep Guardiola takes note, a swarm of young players burst on to the pitch calling for the ball as play continues. Mamadou Sakho then slides in hard on one of the young players. Game on. Yann M’Vila keeps a cool head as the tackles fly in from hungry players joining the game. From a sweeping Franck Ribery move we transition from pitch to gym where Cristiano Ronaldo and aspiring young players are hard at work.
The best of a new generation has seen enough and join the unknown young guns in their quest — first we see Mario Götze and Mesut Özil riding in a golf buggy in the stadium, pitch bound with aspiring players all around them. The pitch invasion is briefly interrupted by the giant hands of LeBron James, expertly scooping up a playful volley from Javier Hernandez, as the basketball icon grabs a bottle of water at the concession stand.
We then fast forward to the stuffiness of a football boardroom where the doors are flung open by pitch bound players. Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique, complete in corporate suits, join them leaping over the table and charging for the pitch. There’s no stopping the next wave of players as they barrel past a startled Lauren Blanc pitch side.
Back on pitch, word rapidly spreads to join the game and we next see Alexandre Pato and Neymar pulling up in the parking lot swamped by photographers as hundreds of young players charge into the stadium. While in the changing room, even Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to pull on the black and white uniform sported by the young players. Ronaldo is out of luck though as he looks at the last remaining jersey which is a size small.
Neymar joins the young players and dazzles with his blinding skills and faints driving up the pitch. He’s joined by Iniesta and Pique, still in their suits, supporting play. Finally as the ball lands in centre circle, Ribery charges towards it from one side and is now head to head with a young player ready to make his mark, they both strive to kick the ball as the film closes “My Time is Now.” But there’s one player late to the party, we see Ronaldo make his way out of the tunnel wearing the black and white jersey, ready to join the game.
About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.
