If you’ve been following Out of the Wilderness for awhile, you’re probably aware I like to write about commercials. Let’s face it, we watch more of commercial content than any program we ever watch! A guy I used to work in television with once said that all we make (as TV show producers) is a vehicle for advertisements. That blew my mind because I’d never thought of it that way and he was right. Ads pay for the programs we like. So then it makes sense that some of those ads are incredibly creative, funny, inspiring, or memorable. It’s how brands can stand out when our attention is constantly being competed for. Not all commercials hit the mark, though. I’m thinking of this confusing one from Sprite and this ironic one from Buick, for instance. But then one comes along that reminds us how great commercials can be. Nike. Known for their top athletic brand status and their slogan “Just Do It”… they’ve released a new ad and if it doesn’t make your heart beat even just a little faster, you’re the problem. OK, I’m kidding, you’re awesome! The commercial is awesome, too.
The commercial shows people doing fun things like head balling, no-leg kneeling, orange gun holding, ocean hovering, ball kicking, sand blasting, crowd surfing, blanket flying, and women’s basketball. Most of it is in slow motion, which elevates the moment to something epic, even if it’s not that epic. Slow motion makes everything better, doesn’t it? Except when you’re waiting at the doc’s office.
There have been a few Nike commercials I didn’t like. This new one, though goes in the other category. I love it. Sports are amazing for a lot of reasons. The ad captures the idea that the reason we compete is to take a chance that we might win. We might surprise ourselves.
You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
I think it’s in the human design to strive. Move upwards. Be better… even if it just means better than you were yesterday. There’s a verse in a song from the 90s and it goes like this…
Don’t waste your time on jealousy
Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind
The race is long and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
I love sports and winning is a really good feeling. But also keep in mind something that I have experienced time and time again. There’s a lot of learning in the losses. Winning isn’t everything and more important than everything is how we treat people during the journey, whether it’s an opponent, an official, a fan, a friend, a family member… and to steal another line from that song…
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
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