Nike’s Dream Crazier Ad Teaches Us to Strive for More

Nike, the absolute god of all sports apparel has unveiled its follow-up, a 90-second ad narrated by Serena Williams set to air during last Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony on ABC. The spot, from Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, not only champions the accomplishments of female athletes but serves as a call to action, telling viewers to “Dream Crazier.” My favorite part was the fact that they included an athlete with a disability, a fellow U of I alumni, Tatyana McFadden.

Let’s be honest, Nike has a long history of highlighting the accomplishments of extraordinary athletes both male and female. In this amazing spot, they focus on the emotional outbursts of female athletes during competition. You get the sense that Nike was pointing out society’s hypocrisy when it criticizes women for showing emotion during a big win or when a bad call is made but praise men for doing exactly the same thing. They are exposing the double standard that exists between men and women even in sports.

Athletes featured in the spot include Simone Biles, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Chloe Kim and members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Williams, who starred in Nike’s 30-second Oscars spot last year, also appears in the ad.

ITA personally believe that Nike thought Serena would do well as the primarily featured athletes because of her outburst during the 2018 US Open Women’s final against Naomi Osaka from Japan. The outburst was the result of a was penalty Serena received for calling the chair umpire a thief during an extended argument as the US Open women’s final. Serena, of course, could not recover after Naomi was awarded the points and the game. So again, Nike wanted to point out the hypocrisy and double standard that exists between men and women in sports. Even the announcers were saying, “Serena better be careful of a penalty before a penalty was called.

In the end, I just appreciated the fact they included an athlete with a disability in a big-time campaign.