BEAVERTON, Ore., May 20, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE)
--NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) today unveils an action-packed film that brings
together some of the world's greatest players to inspire football lovers
and sports fans around the world. The epic three-minute "Write the
Future" film takes people on a journey that dramatically captures that
one moment when headlines are written from a single pass, or one strike
can bring a nation eternal happiness, while bringing others to their
knees.
Some of the world's best players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier
Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Fabio Cannavaro, Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta,
Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Patrice Evra, Gerard Pique, Ronaldinho,
Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Thiago Silva, are featured. Special guest
cameos are made by tennis legend Roger Federer and basketball superstar
Kobe Bryant. Homer Simpson completes the star-studded cast of
appearances. The film will be shown on TV for the first time on May 22nd
during the European Club Final.
Directed by renowned Hollywood director and producer Alejandro G.
Iñarritu (21 Grams, Babel), this epic football journey unfolds through a
match of goal line clearances, game-winning tackles and lightning
footwork that literally send a ripple effect across the world.
Football fans around the world will be able to experience the full three-minute film online at nikefootball.com
from May 20th at 6pm GMT before it rolls out through global
partnerships with Facebook, YouTube and QQ.com on Saturday the 22nd. The
spot will then air across 32 countries, sharing the campaign with
millions of fans around the world on May 22nd.
This marks the first stage of a journey that will ultimately see fans
around the world write their own future through experiences that put
them at the center of the action. In June, fans will be able to live
like their heroes through a unique experience on nikefootball.com that generates ripple videos and visuals from their own photos and information, placing them at the center stage.
Footballers can then use this creative to build their own Facebook
campaign to get noticed and selected for "The Chance" - an elite Nike
Academy football camp in partnership with the Barclays Premier League in
England that allows players to get scouted and get noticed at the
highest level of the game.
"This epic campaign really captures the scale, emotion and impact
that one single moment in a football game can have on a player, fan or
nation," said Davide Grasso, NIKE, Vice President of Global Football
Marketing. "This is just the beginning of the journey. The next stage
allows everyone who loves football to engage and interact in an
incredible way."
The story starts when the viewer is drawn into the heat of battle on
the pitch as a ball drops from the air into the path of Didier Drogba.
As the world holds its collective breath, Drogba picks his way through
sliding defenders and expertly chips the goalkeeper - wild celebrations
commence across Africa. But they are curtailed at the last second as
Fabio Cannavaro makes a stunning overhead goal line clearance. This
game-changing moment propels Cannavaro to pop culture icon complete with
television chat show appearances and a song dedicated to his moment of
brilliance.
Other global football stars including Wayne Rooney experience how a
moment on the pitch can last forever. In one scene, the England striker
sees an intercepted pass picked up by midfielder Franck Ribery. The
ensuing impact brings a nation to its knees and leaves us to imagine
Rooney's destroyed career and his life as a groundsman, living in a
caravan, with Ribery's image looming large above him on a giant
billboard. Fast forward, and Rooney relives the moment, sprints after
Ribery and wins the ball back. Personal and national pride restored, we
see him receiving a knighthood, with headline-grabbing plaudits, a
maternity room full of little Waynes and an effortless table-tennis
defeat of Roger Federer. The Rooney ripple effect comes full circle.
Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo is fouled in a game, and as he prepares
to take a vital free-kick for Portugal, we flash forward to see the
ripple effect if he scores; a stadium named in his honour and a Film
Premiere for a movie of his life.
"Every touch you have in a game has the ability to change the entire
course of not just those 90 minutes, but your entire tournament or
season," said Cristiano Ronaldo. "One touch of the ball can be an
opportunity to leave your mark on the game and write your own future, or
equally a moment missed, that creates a legacy for your opponent with
their fans."
Also unveiled is Nike's supercharged Elite Series football boots
providing new levels of performance for players during the tournament.
Nike's Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II, CTR360 Maestri, Total90 Laser III
and Tiempo Legend III all feature a new performance upper to improve
on-field visibility and a reengineered outsole to deliver lightweight
performance for every style of player. The Elite Series is available to
players at all levels and also incorporates Nike Football+, which
features exclusive insider access to the world's best coaches, players
and teams for total game improvement.
To see the Nike "Write the Future" campaign first, fans can sign up at Nike Facebook and nikefootball.com starting at 6pm GMT today.
All four Elite Series boots to be worn by Nike players in South
Africa, the Nike Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II, Nike CTR360 Maestri, Nike
Total90 Laser III and Nike Tiempo Legend III, are available at retail
and at http://www.nikestore.com as of May 22, 2010.
For more information including multimedia, visit http://www.nikemedia.com.
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 Cole Haan,
which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags,
accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and
distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley
International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports
and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a
leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more
information, visit http://www.nikebiz.com.
About Nike Football+
Nike Football+ gives footballers insider access to the world's best
coaches, players and teams for total game improvement. People who
purchase a new pair of Nike boots receive a unique user code that
unlocks the full Nike Football+ program at nikefootball.com.
They will receive all the benefits of Nike Football+ access at no added
cost. The code will also provide access to future Nike Football+
programs that help players improve their game and win. Nike Football+ is
available as an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch on iTunes and via the
mobile web on all WAP-enabled handsets.
Credits:
Players and Appearances:
Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Fabio Cannavaro,
Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Patrice
Evra, Gerard Pique, Ronaldinho, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Thiago
Silva
Appearances by Roger Federer, Kobe Bryant and Homer Simpson
Production:
Production Company: Independent Films London / Anonymous Content
Director: Alejandro G. Iñarritu
Creative Agency: W+K, Amsterdam
Music: Hocus Pocus by Focus
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6298754<=en
SOURCE: NIKE, Inc.
Nike New York Media Relations, 212-367-4447