Nike’s rousing “You Can’t Stop Us” ad emerged victorious on Sunday night, winning the honor of Outstanding Commercial at the 73rd Annual Emmys. The prize was announced by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences its Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies this past weekend in Los Angeles.
The spot, created out of Wieden+Kennedy Portland and directed by Oscar Hudson of Pulse Films, cut together a series of 36 split-screen scenes that seamlessly merged the moves of athletes and others as if they were moving together as one: a skateboarder taking a sharp turn merges with a surfer riding a wave; a tennis forehand becomes the swing of a baseball bat. The spot celebrated the common thread of perseverance shared by athletes and everyman during the challenges of 2020, from COVID-19 to racial injustice.