NIKE | Footballverse | 2023
The Answer Was "The Future" / NIKE "Footballverse"
This is the answer NIKE gave to "who is the greatest player of all time." In a secret research lab in Switzerland, Ronaldinho, CR7, and Mbappé clash across time and space over four and a half minutes. The conclusion: "the best is yet to come." Simple, but powerful.
The problem
The 2022 Qatar World Cup was dogged by controversy, and NIKE needed to bring back the pure joy of football. At the same time, a World Cup is always a moment of generational change. "Who is the GOAT" has long been a question that neither fans nor experts can ever settle.
The insight
The truth is that the GOAT is always still to come. Comparing players head to head never gives you an answer, because the best is always ahead of us. Ronaldinho proved beauty, CR7 proved dedication, and a 19-year-old Mbappé proved he could become a legend. So what matters isn't ranking them against each other—it's realizing "now it's your turn." The ad manages to honor the past and put faith in the future at the same time.
The idea
The setup: scientists in a secret lab trying to prove who is the strongest, summoning legends from the past and present. It plays out like a Marvel movie, with generations of stars facing off. The music is Oingo Boingo's "Weird Science," and there's also a nod to the 2002 classic "The Cage." Every sound in the film was created from scratch just for this project.
What happened
The campaign ran globally for six weeks, offering exclusive content and product information during the World Cup, and it also grew membership on nike.com. At the 2023 Clio Awards, it won Gold in both the Film Craft - Script and Visual Effects categories. It was also brought to life in "Nikeland" on Roblox.
Afterthought
It doesn't deny the past, it celebrates the present, and it toasts the future. An idea that puts nobody down while lifting everybody up is rare. If even one person who watched this ad thought "now it's my turn," that alone makes it a win.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2023
