This year’s Olympics closed with a simple, yet profound truth; that every athlete, no matter how famous or how experienced, shares the same spirit—the willingness to get out there and try something for themselves because success has no roadmap. You have to 'Just Do It.'
Leveraging the energy and conversations surrounding China’s performance at the Rio Olympics, Nike China unleashed 'The Next Wave' – an anthem film to kick off 'Just Do It' campaign in China.
The idea isn't about telling the next generation of Chinese youth what to do, but celebrating the irreverence, spontaneity, positivity, and potential. They are a generation uninhibited by old traditions. They are free to choose their own path for the first time in history. They are the momentous force preparing to wash over the world.
"We named the film “The Next Wave” (后浪) because it’s the perfect metaphor for the youthfulness, optimism and infectious energy of the new generation that’s coming at you at a thousand miles an hour,” says Terence Leong, Creative Director at W+K Shanghai.
The film takes viewers on a nonstop journey from a small trickle to an unstoppable wave made up of the next-generation of Chinese athletes. We even pass a few familiar faces and voices along the way, like Liu Xiang (retired national hurdler), LiNa (retired national tennis player) , Mr Sun (senior marathon runner) and Selina (Encouraging singer from Taiwan). “We shot this film in a single take style and it took a lot of long shots with very complicated choreography to pull it off. That meant we had every day athletes playing side by side with famous athletes, balls flying everywhere, people crashing into each other, it was near chaos at times. But in the end we combined all of their energy into one infectious massive wave of sport,” says Shaun Sundholm, Creative Director at W+K Shanghai.
"Growing up in China, I was surrounded by people who simply used the English words “Just Do It" as a punchline without knowing what it really means. It’s great that in this campaign, the provocative voice-over lines help to define what it is, by saying what it isn’t.” Says Dino Xu, Business Director at W+K Shanghai.
The rest of the campaign will include short film content, billboards, on-the-ground activations, and some digital engagement surprises to inspire the new generation not to overthink it, but “Just Do It.”
Full Credits
WIEDEN+KENNEDY SHANGHAI
Executive Creative Director: Yang Yeo
Creative Director: Terence Leong, Azsa West, Shaun Sundholm
Art Directors: Christian Laniosz, Marc Garreta
Copywriters: TJ Walthall, Liu Wei, Max Pilwat
Director of Integrated Production: Angie Wong
Head of Content: Bernice Wong
Producer: Fang Yuan
Art Producer: Xuan Ong
Planning Director: Paula Bloodworth
Senior Planner: Leon Lin
Digital Strategist: Bill Tang
Business Director: Dino Xu
Associate Account Director: Jim Zhou
Sr. Account Executive: Shawn Kai
Project Manager: Nicole Bee
Business Affairs: Jessica Deng, Kathy Zhan
Senior Designer: Patrick Rockwell
Designers: Wendy Yu, Deer CL
Production Manager: Vic Zhang
Digital Imaging Artist: Changqing Lee
FA Artist: Bin Liu
PRODUCTION COMPANY: STINK FILMS SHANGHAI
Director: Martin Krejci
Director’s Producer: Justine Madero
1st Assistant Director: James Skotchdopole
1st Assistant Director (Local): Hank Zeng
Director of Photography: Dimitri Karakatsanis
CAM A Operator / Gimbal Ninja: Florian Hatwagner
Executive Producer: Desmond Loh
Executive Producer: Brenda Tham
Producer: Juliana Chung
Production Manager: Charles Renard
Production Manager: Evie Yeo
Beijing Line Producer: Xiao Yu
Production Assistant: Haze Zhu
Celebrity Handler/Fixer: Emma Sun
CAM A Focus Puller/1st AC: Albert Wang
Drone operator: Zhang Teng Sen
Q Take: Marcus Peh
Taipei Production Support: Episode Films
Hong Kong Production Support: Spur Link
Beijing & Hong Kong Art Director: Yao Jun
Taiwan Art Director: Daymon Wu
Wardrobe Stylist: Julian Mei
POST PRODUCTION (LA): LOST PLANET EDITORIAL
Editorials: Hank Corwin, Federico Brusilovsky
Post Executive Producer: Gary Ward
Post Producer: Aimee Crook
Assistant Editor: Jason Hinkley
VFX Artist/Supervisor: Glenn Teel
COLOUR (LONDON): THE MILL
Colourist: Seamus O’Kane
Producer: Dan Kreeger
MUSIC (LA): BARKING OWL
Composer: Seth Olinsky
SOUND DESIGN (LA):
Sound Designer: Eugene Gearty
MIXING (LA):
Mixer: Chris Jenkins
AUDIO VO PRODUCTION (Shanghai): TZ STUDIO
Producer: Joyce Chen
Engineer: Hu Yuan