Caster Semenya addresses her critics in Nike’s latest ad
AG Rojas directs powerful spot for Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam starring the controversial South African runner
Editor's Pick
Nike profiles Caster Semenya, the South African athlete whose career has been dogged by controversy, in the sports brand's latest “Just Do It” ad.
In a powerful spot by Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam, directed by Park Pictures’ AG Rojas, Semenya addresses her critics head on by asking a series of questions. “Would it be easier for you if I wasn’t so fast? Will it be simpler I stopped winning? Would you be more comfortable if I was less proud?” We also see her journey to success in reverse, as footage of the adult Semenya rewinds to backwards recreations of her running as a young girl and taking her first steps as a baby. “That’s too bad,” she concludes. “Because I was born to do this.”
Throughout her career, Semenya has been subjected to speculation about her natural levels of testosterone. After “gender testing,” she was withdrawn from international competition in 2009 before being reinstated in 2010.
The film is running on South African TV and online, while the campaign also includes a double page print spread in South Africa's biggest Sunday newspaper and a typographical GIF for social media.
Semenya's appearance follows hard on the heels of Nike's use of another controversial athlete, Colin Kaepernick, in its latest, very divisive, U.S. campaign.
Credits
- Date
- Sep 11, 2018
- Agency :
- Wieden & Kennedy-Amsterdam
- Executive Creative Director :
- Eric Quennoy
- Executive Creative Director :
- Mark Bernath
- Creative Director :
- Evgeny Primachenko
- Creative Director :
- Hannah Smit
- Creative Director :
- Craig Williams
- Head of Production :
- Joe Togneri
- Executive Producer Broadcast :
- Michael MacMillan
- Broadcast Producer :
- Magda Czyz
- Executive Producer Art :
- Maud Klarenbeek
- Art Producer :
- Stacey Prudden
- Planning Director :
- Stephane Missier
- Communications Planner Director :
- Hillary Heath
- Group Account Director :
- Kathryn Addo
- Account Director :
- Amber Martin
- Account Manager :
- Cassandre Beck
- Account Manager :
- Molly Rugg
- Head of Design :
- Joe Burrin
- Studio Director :
- Lizzie Murray
- Designer :
- Gustav von Platen
- Studio Artist :
- Noa Redero
- Project Manager :
- Loes Poot
- Production Company :
- Park Pictures
- Director :
- AG Rojas
- Director of Photography :
- Rina Yang
- Producer :
- Nick Goldsmith
- Executive Producer :
- Stephen Brierley
- Editing Company :
- Trim Editing
- Editor :
- Dominic Leung
- Editor Assistant :
- Dave Davis
- Audio Post :
- Wave Studios
- Sound Designer :
- Ed Downham
- Sound Designer :
- Alex Nicholls-Lee
- Post Production :
- Glassworks
- VFX Supervisor / Lead Compositor :
- Kyle Obley
- Colorist :
- Scott Harris
- Executive Producer :
- Anya Kruzmetra
- Art Director :
- Teresa Montenegro
- Copywriter :
- Christopher Cryer
- Business Affairs :
- Fiona Fan
- Producer :
- Tatyana Alexandra
- Artist :
- Cam Ballantyne
- Title :
- Caster
- Studio :
- Beatworms
- Compositor :
- Jan van de Laar
- On Set VFX Supervisor :
- George Webster
- Production Coordinator :
- Salt Ibraeva
Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors