W+K Amsterdam Ups the Game with Inspiring Sport for Development Spots

Sport plays a powerful role in shaping young people’s lives; helping to teach discipline, confidence and communication skills. Sporting activities can even lead to a brighter future, a concept which new integrated campaign, ‘We Are Who We Become’, explores. 

Stemming from the idea that - where you come from is not who you are.

And where you start is not where you finish - We Are Who We Become highlights the work of ‘Sport for Development’. A global program that helps steer young people in developing nations away from issues such as gangs, drugs and violence, and instead empowers them with sport. 

Concepted and written by The Kennedys, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam’s in-house creative incubator, and produced by director Nanno Jiskoo, the campaign centres around five South-African young athletes. Five young people who all faced struggles and challenges, but overcame them through sport.

A unique collaboration between an advertising talent program and filmmaker, The Kennedys devised the concept and Jiskoot then spent a month in the townships of Cape Town to meet sporting youth. The inspiring stories of five young athletes were then captured in the campaign’s main anthem film, five short portrait documentaries and a coffee table book – all housed on http://www.wearewhowebecome.com, the online heart of the campaign.

We Are Who We Become was created for the Dutch ‘Sport for Development program’, an initiative by the foundations Right To Play, KNVB WorldCoaches and International Sports Alliance, in collaboration with the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs.