Nike | LAST | 2015
Running Backward, Gracefully, to Honor the Last Place Finisher / Nike "LAST"
The camera keeps moving backward the whole time. It's graceful, but there's something otherworldly about it too. Set to Aretha Franklin's "Every Little Bit Hurts," that same shot just keeps going.
The problem
This film was made for the fall 2015 marathon season. Back in 2012, Nike's "Jogger" sang that greatness exists inside everyone. Three years later, the brand chose to focus on the people who finish last.
The insight
The narration says it plainly: "You are not a runner. You're certainly not a marathon runner. But by the time this is over, you will be a marathon runner." Simply finishing the race is proof enough that you're an athlete.
The idea
We watch the second-to-last runner cross the finish line long ago, the cleanup crew already starting to pack things up, while the very last runner keeps going. The camera keeps pulling back, moving in reverse the entire time. That unnatural motion is exactly what makes the runner's loneliness and strength stand out.
What happened
Produced by Wieden+Kennedy Portland, directed by Lance Acord. The creative directors were Alberto Ponte and Ryan O'Rourke, the art director was Patty Orlando, and the copywriter was Heather Ryder.
Afterthought
Just by choosing to shoot the camera moving backward, the film ends up feeling both graceful and strangely powerful. It's a great example of how the way you shoot something decides everything. The kind of ad you want to watch again and again.
