NIKE | SKATEBOARDING | 1998
What if tennis players, or golfers, were the ones getting chased off? / NIKE "SKATEBOARDING"
Skate through the city and a security guard comes running. Try a trick in front of a shop and someone starts yelling. In 1998, that was just normal life for skateboarders. Nike's response was a single question: "What if other athletes got treated the same way?"
The problem
In the late 90s, the skate shoe market was growing, but society's view of skateboarding stayed cold. Riding in the street was treated as a public nuisance. And when a big company like Nike tried to step in, the community pushed back, basically saying "don't come stomping in here uninvited."
The insight
Goodby Silverstein & Partners landed on a single swap: "What if every athlete got treated the way skateboarders do?" Apply that to tennis or golf, and the unfairness speaks for itself, no explanation needed.
The idea
Three commercials: "Tennis," "Golf," and "Running." A tennis player gets thrown off the court, a golfer gets screamed at, a runner gets arrested just for running. The deadpan style is exactly what makes the absurdity land.
What happened
The campaign won the Grand Prix in Film at the 1998 Cannes Lions. For Goodby Silverstein & Partners, it was the first time an American agency had won since '94.
Afterthought
Just swap out one familiar scene, and the absurdity becomes impossible to miss. That's the kind of power this ad had. Skateboarding has earned its place now, but it feels like there's always some "next skateboarding" out there somewhere.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1998
