Nike courts controversy
The brand's new spot tackling racial discrimination in Japan provokes heated online debate.
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Credits
powered by
- Agency Wieden + Kennedy/Tokyo
- Production Company Nakama Film
- Director Jovan Todorovic
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Credits
powered by
- Agency Wieden + Kennedy/Tokyo
- Production Company Nakama Film
- Director Jovan Todorovic
- Editor Work Editorial/USA
- Editor Ben Jordan
Credits
powered by
- Agency Wieden + Kennedy/Tokyo
- Production Company Nakama Film
- Director Jovan Todorovic
- Editor Work Editorial/USA
- Editor Ben Jordan
Brilliantly capturing the confusion of youth, the spot, The Future Isn’t Waiting, features the stories of three real-life female soccer players who are shown questioning their identity and place in the world, while suffering bullying and racial prejudice.
Created by W+K Tokyo, and directed by Jovan Todorovic through Nakama Films, the ad reveals how the players' sense of self worth is eventually elevated by their sporting prowess, affording them the respect of their peers and enabling them to actively shape their futures.
However, in a culture that avoids confronting sensitive issues, the ad raises uncomfortable questions about Japanese identity.
Each of the players is of mixed heritage and one of them, a Korean, is shown reading social posts about the ‘zainichi situation’ — a word used to describe ethnically Korean people living in Japan.
Within a week of its release, the video racked up 16.3 million views on Twitter, while on YouTube it was viewed more than 10 million times, attracting over 40,000 comments, 71,000 likes and some 50,000 dislikes.
While many commentators have praised the brand for raising the issue of intolerance, some have resented a foreign brand appearing to judge Japanese culture, with one social post reading, "this is truly dangerous as it leads to a divide. And they are making the money on top of it. I puke on it."
A Nike Japan spokesperson stated: "The objective of this film is to champion sport as a vehicle to empower youth to create the change they want to see. Discrimination is a global issue; it exists around the world. The testimonials of these real athletes inspired us to take action and speak more openly about bullying and discrimination."
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