In
a country known for turning football into an art form, Nike celebrates the
Brasilian style of play with the launch of ‘Dare to be Brasilian’. The heart of
the campaign is a short film featuring Neymar, Thiago Silva, David Luiz,
Paulinho, Bernard, and members of the coaching staff, including Luiz Felipe
Scolari (Felipão), which highlights the players' unique styles and attitudes on
the pitch.
“As
their victory on home soil last summer reminded the World, no one plays like
Brasil,” said Davide Grasso, Chief Marketing Officer, Nike. “Their unique brand
of phenomenal football is an inspiration to Nike and athletes around the world,
and we are celebrating that unique style of play with this new campaign.”
“Dare
to Be Brasilian” looks at the individual personalities and styles of Neymar,
Silva, Luiz, Paulinho, and Bernard, as well as the essence of their style of
play, to create a visually stunning portrayal of the game through each player's
perspective. In scenes unique to each player, we see the game through their
eyes. Neymar plays like a kid; Luiz runs over the competition; Silva dominates
the penalty box; Bernard is the fleet-footed midfielder in a land of giants;
and Paulinho is the responsible one of the group.
“The
football player in Brasil is a player who improvises, dares and modifies,"
said Felipão. “Our players infuse their unique style of play with their natural
talents, and that’s when these players and the Brasilian team become unbeatable.”
The film opens with the players preparing for the kick-off singing the Brasil national anthem. As the game begins, the film flips from the pitch to Thiago’s world, shot in a gangster-noir film style. He is The Godfather of the penalty box, and, as Ivete Sangalo watches on, Silva attacks an opponent, stealing the ball.
The
scene cuts to Felipão, who is commanding a team of four-year olds wearing the
National Team uniform. Felipao’s fatherly style of management clearly apparent
in this heart-warming moment. One is a young David Luiz, and the defensive
back’s world takes on an animated forms courtesy of Brasilian cartoonist Rafael
Grampá.
The
script follows this cadence between fiction and reality until it closes on a
goal by Neymar, closing with the statement, “No one plays like us.”
SPECIAL EFFECTS AND
PRODUCTION
To
best portray the Brasilian National Team’s phenomenal style, Nike partnered
with Wieden+Kennedy and English director Daniel Kleinman.
“It
was a great responsibility to create this film for the Brasilian National Team
because it holds so much meaning,” said Kleinman. “I think we were able to
celebrate Brasil and create a piece that is worthy of the Brasilian National
Team jersey.”
Kleinman
faced some unique challenges while filming the piece including Bernard’s speed.
“He
ran a lot during filming, and the camera really struggled to figure out a way
to keep up with him,” said Kleinman.
“Each
scene represents something very pure and true to each player. For example it’s
clear the Felipao has a paternal feeling to his team, so we played on that in
his moment.” added Kleinman.
