The Ten Best Nike Commercials From The Last Decade
NGL looks back on the last ten years of commercials from the Swoosh and what it means for the future of its partnership with Colin Kaepernick
(Nike / Photo Illustration by Nathan Graber-Lipperman)
Ever since Bill Bowerman ruined his wife’s waffle iron in creating the first Nike sneaker, the mythos surrounding the brand — moreover, its marketing — remains up there with the best of ‘em.
That’s why on first hearing about the Colin Kaepernick deal, anyone who knows anything about Nike knew that the brand had done their research before going all in. Again, if you’ve been following the Swoosh over the years, they’ve ran some of the most successful ad campaigns of all time, virtually owning the athletic apparel and sneaker market. Nike took over as the official outfitter of the NBA and NFL during the last decade; in 2015, the brand owned a 93% share of the U.S. basketball shoe market.
Aside from a brief dip in 2017, the Swoosh has been steadily climbing over the last 5 years, currently trading at an all-time high.
The stock goes up, the stock goes down. I’m not here to comment on the hypocrisy of the media — or should I say, social media — cycle and narrative. I’m just here to say that history is on Nike’s side.
Regardless of Kaepernick’s controversial figure, any objective consumer of media would agree that Nike’s “Dream Crazy” ad was incredible. This all got me thinking — out of all of the other fantastic commercials Nike has created, which ones stand out above the rest? I limited myself to the last ten years; also, for some advertising campaigns that featured multiple commercials (such as Jordan and Dwyane Wade’s “Dominate Another Day), I only picked my favorite individual ad to embed.
Here it is, in all of its glory: The Ten Best Nike Commercials From The Last Decade.
Some Honorable Mentions
“Dominate Another Day” (2010): Dwyane Wade as a basketball version of James Bond, and Kevin Hart as his very own Q — rather, H? Sign me up!
“Take It To The Next Level” (2009): We go through the ups and downs of a soccer player trying to make it to the biggest stage. The whole video is shot in the first person, too, making for a nice touch.
“Bring Your Game” (2015): A group of kids trying to determine their favorite basketball players hang out with Kyrie, Kobe, and more. Creds to LeBron for channeling Chris Traeger with that cake.
“The Switch” (2016): Imagine Freaky Friday meets Space Jam, and you pretty much get “The Switch.” A kid trades places with Ronaldo, only to somehow meet up with him later on the pitch.
№10: “The Secret Behind Nike Air” (2010)
“Caution: May Cause Excessive Performance.” David Koechner takes us behind the scenes in this one to showcase just how all of that Nike Air gets made. Turns out, elite athletes like Troy Polamalu and Brandon Roy are breathing into air containment units while exercising; in turn, that special air is what gets put into your Nikes. The real question, though — where can I buy a pair of Air Maxes made before Koechner took out Maria Sharapova’s grunts?
№9: “Choose Go” (2018)
The idea behind this ad is great: for some unknown reason, the globe has stopped spinning on its axis, dubbed the “Stopocalypse” by the media. Everyone from Mbappe to Giannis starts to run in the same direction in an effort — as Bill Nye tells us in a hilarious cameo — to “propel the planet” with “the power of the foot.” The best part is at the end, when reports shows that everyone’s been running the wrong way, thus turning around and starting it all over. What’s better than Kevin Hart in his element: screaming his head off?
№8: “Equality” (2017)
“If we can be equals here…” quotes the narrator. “…we can be equals everywhere,” says Nike’s most influential athlete. The optimist in me loves the message, that sports bring us together in a way that should be uniform throughout the world. The pessimist in me points to Nike’s track record of human rights violations, therefore making this a difficult sell. All in all, though, the thing is a majestic work of art that deserves recognition.
№7: “Defy The Monstars” (2016)
“What’s up, jocks?” Jordan Brand celebrates the return of the “Space Jam” Air Jordan 11 with a modern spin on their long-running Looney Tunes collaboration. And though Blake Griffin couldn’t land the eventual movie gig, he steals the spotlight in this one alongside Jimmy Butler. For the eagle-eyed viewers, catch the awesome warning text at the very end: “DO NOT ATTEMPT. UNLESS YOU ARE IN A DYSTOPIAN, MONSTAR-RULED REALITY.” Alright, Nike, just take my money already. Geez. (Fun fact: I did end up copping a pair of Jams.)
№6: “Write the Future” (2010)
For some countries, the World Cup is everything. “Write The Future” showcases just how high the stakes really are. Drogba’s surefire goal getting blocked by Cannavaro inspires a whole song and dance move. The difference between Rooney playing well and failing is the difference between Rooney getting knighted by the queen and England’s stock market taking a dive. And Ronaldo’s success leads to a stadium named after him, a movie about him, and even a cameo on The Simpsons. “Ronal — d’oh!”
№5: “The Kobe System” (2012)
Ahead of the release of the Kobe VII, Nike pushed this hilarious ad campaign to explain to consumers how you could attack fast and strong in the new kicks. Kobe is presented as the best of the best at a Ted Talk-esque seminar; everyone from Aziz Ansari to Serena Williams are there to hear him speak. The Swoosh is in on the joke, too, as the vagueness of Kobe’s “system” is so over-the-top preposterous that you have no choice but to laugh. The only one not laughing might be Mr. West, though.
№4: “Back For The Future” (2011)
In 2011, Nike teamed with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to release the extremely-coveted Nike Air Mag, the sneakers worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II. The premise: Emmett “Doc” Brown time-travels to 2011, only to be told (by the legendary Tinker Hatfield, nonetheless) that self-lacing sneaker tech won’t be available for another four years. Kevin Durant isn’t winning any Oscars here — it’s no Thunderstruck — but he delivers when he needs to. Also, this commercial ranks as the second-best performance by Bill Hader alongside a pro basketball player.
№3: “Winner Stays On” (2014)
A pick-up game between teenage amateurs becomes a match watched around the globe, as each individual chooses what (Nike) superstar they would like to be. There’s so many good moments: Neymar being ridiculed for actually passing, a goalie become the Hulk, one player turning into an “iniesto” instead of “Iniesta,” and the actual Pirlo watching his counterpart get smacked in the face by a ball while schmoozing with Kobe Bryant. It doesn’t hurt that “Miss Alissa” by Eagles Of Death Metal paces the ad into a frenetic, crazy spectacle, either.
№2: “Kobe Bryan is ‘the black mamba’” (2011)
Whoever came up with the concept for this ad deserves a raise. And then another one. And another one. Kobe sits down with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez about an upcoming flick revolving around his Black Mamba alter ego, but as they bounce things off each other, we get to watch it all unfold. Yep, that’s really Bruce Willis playing Mr. Suave, who’s working for…The Boss, played by Kanye West (again) at the height of his powers. You’ll need to get the popcorn ready for this one.
№1: “MVPuppets” (2009)
Boy, did I love the MVPuppets back in the day. The premise is simple: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James — arguably the two biggest Nike stars at the time — are living in the same house. What we get to watch unfurl is a long-running series of the braggadocious, swaggering alpha dogs struggling to cope with the other’s massive ego. Whether it be LeBron clapping enough chalk to make Tony Montana look twice or Kobe breaking the fourth wall and remarking over his shoes being too hot to handle, the MVPuppets gave us a legacy of great commercials that are still a joy to watch 10 years later.
Which Nike ad was your favorite from the list? Which ones did we snub? Let us know in the comment section below and on Twitter!