ADIDAS | UNSTOPPABLE | 2005
Not Even a Tiny Army Can Stop This Dunk / ADIDAS "UNSTOPPABLE"
A miniature army swarms him with helicopters and Hummers, but Tracy McGrady never stops dribbling. It's 60 seconds of the most ridiculous, most amazing footage you'll see.
The problem
In 2004, adidas launched its big campaign to take on Nike, "Impossible is Nothing." With global athletes like Muhammad Ali and David Beckham on board, the brand was trying to redefine itself.
The insight
According to director Brian Beletic, the brief literally said "don't make it look like the Iraq War" — and right after that added "but make it look incredibly cool." Coming so soon after the war, getting the visual tone exactly right was a delicate balancing act.
The idea
As McGrady drives toward the hoop, a tiny army decked out in ivory and gold rises up against him like something out of Gulliver's Travels. A helicopter tangles him in rope, Hummers circle his feet, hooks get driven into the ground. McGrady still jumps and dunks — and it's only the helicopter that gets yanked up into the sky. About nine-tenths of this footage is CG. The title: "UNSTOPPABLE."
What happened
Produced by TBWA\Chiat\Day San Francisco. It won Gold at The One Show 2005.
Afterthought
A great message alone doesn't make an ad memorable. It takes absurdity, beauty, and technical skill all coming together at once. It only works because the client had the guts to say "make it incredibly cool" — and the team had the determination to actually deliver on that. That's the kind of work I want to be part of too.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2005
