Nike challenges the world to 'Dare to be Brazilian'

Nike has launched a new campaign, titled 'Dare to be Brazilian' in Brazil, a country known for turning football into an art form. The heart of the campaign is a short film featuring Neymar, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Paulinho, Bernard, and members of the coaching staff, including Luiz Felipe Scolari (Felipo), which highlights the players' unique styles and attitudes on the pitch.

The ad film has been conceptualised by Wieden+Kennedy and directed by Daniel Kleinman.

"As their victory on home soil last summer reminded the world, no one plays like Brazil," said Davide Grasso, Chief Marketing Officer, Nike. "Their unique brand of phenomenal football is an inspiration to Nike and athletes around the world, and we are celebrating that unique style of play with this new campaign."

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'Dare to be Brazilian' looks at the individual personalities and styles of Neymar, Silva, Luiz, Paulinho, and Bernard, as well as the essence of their style of play. In scenes unique to each player, we see the game through their eyes. Neymar plays like a kid, Luiz runs over the competition, Silva dominates the penalty box, Bernard is the fleet-footed midfielder in a land of giants, and Paulinho is the responsible one in the group.

"The football player in Brazil is a player who improvises, dares and modifies," said Felipo. "Our players infuse their unique style of play with their natural talents, and that's when these players and the Brazilian team become unbeatable."

The film opens with the players preparing for the kick-off singing the Brazil national anthem. As the game begins, the film flips from the pitch to Thiago's world, shot in gangster-noir style. He is 'The Godfather' of the penalty box, and, as Ivete Sangalo watches on, Silva attacks an opponent, stealing the ball.

The scene cuts to Felipo, who is commanding a team of four-year olds wearing the national team uniform. One is a young David Luiz, and the defensive back's world takes on an animated form, courtesy Brasilian cartoonist Rafael Gramp.

The script follows this cadence between fiction and reality until it closes on a goal by Neymar, closing with the statement, "No one plays like us."

"It was a great responsibility to create this film for the Brazilian national team because it holds so much meaning. I think we were able to celebrate Brazil and create a piece that is worthy of the Brazilian national team jersey. Each scene represents something very pure and true to each player. For example it's clear the Felipao has a paternal feeling to his team, so we played on that in his moment," added Kleinman.