Nike declares a 'land of new football' in latest soccer ad

Nike continues to emphasize its mission to change the face of soccer in its latest "Play New" ad. 

The spot, from Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam, centers on the idea of the "Land of New Football," with a new generation of players declaring their independence from the old ways of the game. That idea is visualized metaphorically by imagery depicting all the soccer pitches and stadia all over the world stitched together to form a gigantic piece of land.

While the film features professional soccer players like Marcus Rashford and Sara Däbritz, it also highlights grassroots soccer heroes like JJ Roble, the U..K’s first Muslim referee, and local football communities around Europe such as Alesia FC in France or Football Beyond Borders in the U.K.. The theme is one of inclusion and being true to who you are, with a diverse cast, from a woman breastfeeding under a soccer shirt to players young and old.

The film, directed by Felix Brady of Stink Films, is running globally and broke this week, a week into the Euro 2020 tournament. It's part of the wider "Play New" campaign that debuted in May with a spot from Wieden & Kennedy Portland emphasizing people getting back to physical exercise after the pandemic. It continued with a spot by Wieden & Kennedy London featuring a toxic talking soccer ball.