Cristiano Ronaldo Swaps Bodies With a Young Fan in Nike Soccer Film
W&K and Ringan Ledwidge Worked on Nike Football's Longest-Ever Ad
Editor's Pick
Nike has debuted the longest-ever brand film for Nike Football, a star-studded effort in which soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo gives a bravura acting performance as a young fan is transported into his body.
The six-minute film, "The Switch," was created by Wieden & Kennedy and directed by Rattling Stick's Ringan Ledwidge (whose previous Nike work includes Winner Stays). It tells what happens when Ronaldo collides with a ball boy at a match, and the two somehow swap bodies, in the long-running tradition of movies like "Big" or "Freaky Friday."
Next morning, a bewildered Ronaldo wakes up as a teenage boy in a terraced British house, with his mom driving him off to play soccer in a playground. Meanwhile the boy, Charlie Lee (played by 16-year-old newcomer Gerson Correia Adua), wakes up to a luxury mansion, a supercar, and a training session as Ronaldo. After some comedic moments, both rise to the challenge of their new lives -- which include learning Portuguese and learning to drive -- until there's an opportune moment for them to meet again.
According to Nike, "The Switch" is the most extensive brand shoot Ronaldo has ever done, for any company, requiring five days of filming. What's more, Ronaldo performed his own stunts in the initial collision scene, which was done in just three takes.
We reckon his acting could give fellow soccer great David Beckham (whose repertoire has improved considerably in recent ads) a run for his money, should he ever turn to performing. The film, meanwhile, is an entertaining effort that will appeal to soccer fans of all ages.
Credits
- Date
- Jun 09, 2016
- Brand :
- Nike
- Client :
- Nike
- Agency :
- Wieden & Kennedy-Portland
- Director :
- Ringan Ledwidge
- Production Company :
- Rattling Stick
- Client Contact :
- Jesse Gordon Long
- Client Contact :
- Steven Strand
- Creative Director :
- Chris Groom
- Creative Director :
- Stuart Brown
- Copywriter :
- Dylan Lee
- Art Director :
- Pedro Izique
- Senior Producer :
- Scott Kaplan
- Senior Producer :
- Ross Plummer
- Executive Producer :
- Matt Hunnicutt
- Agency Post Production Producer :
- Jen Milano
- Strategic Planning :
- Henry Lambert
- Strategic Planning :
- Zack Kaplan
- Media/Comms Planning :
- Alex Dobson
- Account Team :
- Shinya Kamata
- Account Team :
- Luiza Prata Carvalho
- Account Team :
- Alyssa Ramsey
- Account Team :
- Karelle Dixon
- Business Affairs :
- Amber Lavender
- Studio Design :
- Matt Blum
- Studio Design :
- Randall Garcia
- Studio Design :
- Jessica Raddatz
- Executive Producer :
- Joe Biggins
- Line Producer :
- Sally Humphries
- Head of Production :
- Richard McIntosh
- Director, Photography :
- Matthew Libatique
- Editorial Company :
- Work
- Editor :
- Richard Orrick
- Assistant Editor :
- Ben Corfield
- Executive Producer :
- Marlo Baird
- Post Producer :
- Brandee Probasco
- Visual Effects Company :
- The Mill
- Head of Production :
- Dan Roberts
- Producer :
- Anastasia Von Rahl
- Associate Producer :
- Karina Slater
- Coordinator :
- Samantha Hernandez
- Production Assistant :
- Sardor Kaziyev
- Shoot Supervisor :
- Phil Crowe
- Shoot Supervisor :
- John Shirley
- 1st Assistant Director :
- Robert Sethi
- Creative Director :
- Phil Crowe
- 2D Lead Artist :
- John Shirley
- 3D Lead Artist :
- Chris Baylor
- 2D Artist :
- Tim Davies
- 2D Artist :
- Robin McGloin
- 2D Artist :
- Brad Scott
- 2D Artist :
- Daniel Thuresson
- 2D Artist :
- Martin Karlsson
- 2D Artist :
- Greg VanZyl
- 2D Artist :
- Brett Lopinsky
- 2D Artist :
- Alex Candlish
- 2D Artist :
- Gareth Parr
- 2D Artist :
- Ed Laag
- 2D Artist :
- Scott Johnson
- 2D Artist :
- Tim Robbins
- 2D Artist :
- Remedy Huynh
- 2D Artist :
- Becky Porter
- 2D Artist :
- James Allen
- 2D Artist :
- Nicholas Tayler
- 2D Artist :
- Elliot Brennan
- 2D Artist :
- Don Kim
- 3D Artist :
- Blake Sullivan
- 3D Artist :
- Matt Bohnert
- 3D Artist :
- Annie Zhao
- 3D Artist :
- Bridget Warrington
- 3D Artist :
- Charles Storniolo
- 3D Artist :
- Jason Monroe
- 3D Artist :
- Mike Di Nocco
- 3D Artist :
- Monique Espinoza
- 3D Artist :
- Odel Palmer
- 3D Artist :
- Pedro Ignacio Gegundez Vicente
- 3D Artist :
- Tamara Garabedian
- 3D Artist :
- Cory Cosper
- 3D Artist :
- Patrick Warner
- 3D Artist :
- Terry Ziegelman
- 3D Artist :
- Ziming Liu
- 3D Artist :
- Dan Warom
- Tracking :
- Jason Janksy
- Tracking :
- Michael Lori
- Tracking :
- Jenna Kind
- Tracking :
- Martin Rivera
- Tracking :
- Steven Olson
- Tracking :
- Samantha Pedregon
- Tracking :
- Katie Yancey
- Art Support :
- Gary Marschka
- Art Support :
- Dylan Streiff
- Matte Painting :
- Andy Wheater
- Design Support :
- Patrick Kipper
- Design Artist :
- Greg Park
- Design Artist :
- Justin Sucara
- Design Artist :
- Viraj Ajmeri
- Design Artist :
- Aime Graham
- Design Artist :
- Clare Carrellas
- Design Artist :
- Andrew Proctor
- Design Artist :
- Manija Emran
- Editorial Assistant :
- Natalie Wozniak
- Colorist :
- The Mill - LA
- Executive Producer :
- Thatcher Peterson
- Color Producer :
- Diane Valera
- Color Coordinator :
- Jackson Rogers
- Producer Assistant :
- Sam Ziaie
- Producer Assistant :
- Ryan Crane
- Producer Assistant :
- Benton Africano
- Producer Assistant :
- Asa Fox
- Production Company :
- The Mill - London
- Executive Producer :
- Gemma Humphries
- Workshare Producer :
- Alexandra Paton
- Production Assistant :
- George Reid
- Shoot Supervisor :
- Andrew Wood
- Shoot Supervisor :
- Hitesh Patel
- Head of Operations :
- Tom Walter
- 2D Lead :
- Grant Connor
- 3D Lead Artist :
- Adam Droy
- 2D Artist :
- Ben Turner
- 2D Artist :
- Dan Williams
- 2D Artist :
- Gianluca Di Marco
- 2D Artist :
- Courtney Pryce
- 2D Artist :
- Adam Fenwick
- 2D Artist :
- Alex Snookes
- 2D Artist :
- Ahmed El-Azma
- 2D Artist :
- Soledad Martin
- 2D Artist :
- Rebecca Clay
- 3D Artist :
- Edward Hicks
- 3D Artist :
- Anthony Northman
- 3D Artist :
- Philip Maddock
- 3D Artist :
- Hugo Jackson
- 3D Artist :
- Jacob Gonzales
- 3D Artist :
- Andrew Bartholomew
- 3D Artist :
- Will Burdett
- 3D Artist :
- Finlay Crowther
- Music Label :
- Counter Records
- Music Label :
- Ninja Tune
- Partner, Creative Director :
- David O'Bryan
- Arranger :
- Tom Belton
- Arrangement :
- The Heavy
- Artist :
- The Heavy
- Song :
- Turn Up
- Mix Company :
- Technicolor
- Mixer and Sound Designer :
- Julian Slater
- Re-Recording Mixer :
- Luke Schwarzweller
- Trailer Production Company :
- AV Squad
- Editor :
- Keenan Kelly
- Producer :
- Nick Shakarian
- Creative Director :
- Jordan Hayman
- Copywriter :
- Dylan Lee
- Art Director :
- Pedro Izique
- Producer :
- Keith Rice
- Media/Comms Planning :
- Geoff Scoones
- Motion Producer :
- Toby Herbst
- Art Producer :
- Krystle Mortimore
- Photographer :
- William Cooper Mitchell
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