Nike "Unlimited You" (2016) 2:37 (USA)

The VO guy totally loses his shit in this charming and at times very funny Nike spot. It's 2:26 seconds and shares the same everything-but-the-kitchen-sink math as Write The Future. It gets out the Bro Bludgeon, pummeling you with noise and action.
It features amateur athletes and professional athletes from all sports as well as Katana from Suicide Squad (side note: don't believe the critics. Suicide Squad is great after the first half hour, which desperately needed another edit.) Where was I? Oh, right. So there's a voice over from Oscar Isaac that starts all quiet and making a point about athletes didn't start great, they all suck and with tons of practice they become great, so keep reaching for the stars. The amateur athletes break the fourth wall every so often in a way that reminds me of something Apple would do for the iPhone. All very light. But then suddenly with an outraged "that was my tagline," from Isaac, a gymnast actually bursts through the tagline, breaking the fourth wall for good. Enter: All the big athletes Nike pays big bucks for, and it gets more and more over the top and out of control.
When the voice over whines 'Why is no one listening to me?" I felt like the answer was staring at me from somewhere beneath the roller coaster ride. You can have one athlete riding a car of crash test dummies to help set up an impressive dunk for another athlete, and can have fantastical movie tie-in sword fight, and take me a long journey where people jump off cliffs and skateboard down impressive rails, but the message of "there are no limits so keep pushing, and go for your dreams" isn't saying anything we haven't heard before. This spot finds itself in a quandary. For all its whiplash charms and impressive eye candy, it all feels oddly familiar.

Client: Nike
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy.
GCDs: Alberto Ponte, Ryan O'Rourke
Interactive Director: Dan Viens
Copywriter: Edward Harrison
Art Director: Susan Land
Global Executive Producer: Matt Hunnicutt
Senior Agency Producer: Ross Plummer
Agency Post Producer: Shelley Eisner
Agency Production Assistant: Emily Knight
Digital Producer: Keith Rice
Art Production: Amy Berriochoa, Krystle Mortimore, Jennifer Spillers
Project Management: Christina Kim
Studio Design Manager: Alicia Kuna
Studio Designer: Edgar Morales
Retoucher: Frazer Goodbody
Motion Production, Design: Tori Herbst, Carlos Enciso
Strategic Planning: Andy Lindblade, Nathan Goldberg, Brandon Thornton, Reid Schilperoort
Media, Communications Planning: Danny Sheniak, John Furnari, Brian Goldstein, Jocelyn Reist
Account Team: Chris Willingham, Alyssa Ramsey, Corey Woodson, Anna Boteva, Carly Williamson
Production Company: Prettybird
Director: The Daniels
Executive Producers: Ali Brown, Suzanne Hargrove
Line Producer: Jonathan Wang
Director of Photography: Larkin Seiple
Production Designer: Mark Snelgrove
Editing: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Angus Wall
Assistant Editor: Lauren Dellara
Post Producer: Chris Noviello
Executive Post Producer: Helena Lee
Visual Effects, Color: Mill, Los Angeles
2D Lead Artist: John Leonti
2D Artists: Brad Scott, Alex Candish, Peter Sidoriak, Rob Winfield, Joseph Zaki, Tommy Smith,
Daniel Thurreson, Glyn Tebbutt, Greg VanZyl, Tim Bird, Jake Albers, Sam Evenson, Don Kim, Jake Albers, Adam Lambert
Matte Painting: Andy Wheater, Jie Zhou
Art Support: Dylan Streiff, Gary Marschka
Visual Effects Supervisor: Will Lemmon
Colorists: Greg Reese, Adam Scott
Color Producer: Thatcher Peterson
Music
Track"Never Die" by FNDTY
Music, Sound, Mix: Lime Studios
Audio Mixers: Rohan Young, Jeff Malen
Audio Assistants: Ben Tomastik, Lisa Mermelstein
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan