My Most Immortal Ad: Chris Beresford-Hill on Nike’s Frozen Moment
In the run up to this year’s Immortal Awards deadline, our global jury has been taking it in turn to select the ads and campaigns that have stood the test of time in their minds, revealing the reasons why they’ve stayed with them through the years as their Most Immortal Ads.
Chris Beresford-Hill, worldwide chief creative officer of BBDO, takes us back to 1996 and selects a Nike ad that has kept him brand loyal to this day (so brand loyal, in fact, that he recreated this for another client many years later…)
The entry system for The Immortal Awards’ 2024 competition is now open. As always, entry is free for Little Black Book members and more information on how you can enter - and start your path to creative immortality - can be found at the bottom of the article.
Nike - Frozen Moment (1996)
The ad that is immortal to me is Frozen Moment for Nike, from 1996, and featuring Michael Jordan.
In essence, it’s about how whenever he touched the ball during those years, it felt like all of time slowed down.
The ad also is the reason I have only bought or worn Nike for the last 30 years, and with the way I go through shoes, is a fuckload of money that has been paid out slowly over years and years.
Sadly, there’s no metric for tracking that value to the brand, but the long-term preferences built by iconic work is something we have to get better at valuing.
I also now realise I totally copied this ad, adding a humorous twist, with 'Kyrie in the Air' for Foot Locker.
The Immortal Awards entry system is now open and entries into competition will be accepted until September 5th 2024. All entries must be made for a commissioning client, and must have first aired, broadcast, displayed, launched or published between September 1st 2023 and August 31st 2024.
Every member of LBB is entitled to up to five entries. The full list of rules, including eligibility dates, can be found here.
If you’d like to enter the Immortal Awards but you’re not yet a member of LBB, sign up here today.
If you have any questions about The Immortal Awards or need any help with your entries, please contact awards directors Paul Monan (paulm@lbbonline.com) and Emma Wilkie (emma@lbbonline.com)
Thanks to our wonderful Immortal Awards partners
