Nike Tennis Instructor vs Serena Williams
With all but four countries out of the World Football Cup, it must be time to put some focus back on the tennis at Wimbledon. Only problem is that Wimbledon have nowhere near the advertising support usually associated with an international sports tournament.
The ad I’ve chosen to begin with features Serena Williams, who isn’t appearing at Wimbledon due to injury. Never mind.
Nike’s 2004 spot, “Tennis Instructor”, featured a group of teenage girls surprised by their own speed as they turn into Serena Williams in front of their heart-throb tennis coach.
The spot opens with the tennis instructor driving into the tennis club in a convertible sports car. The girls, in the bathroom preparing themselves, rush to the window in excitement.
On the court the blond tennis coach oversees the eager girls in the development of their game. He’s prepared for a little adulation. But he’s not prepared for the transformation of each girl into Serena Williams as she serves or returns the ball. Inevitably he gets caught in the crossfire. Apologetically the girls rush up to apologize.
The tagline: “You’re faster than you think. Nikespeed.com”.
Credits
The Nike Tennis campaign was designed at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland by creative directors Hal Curtis and Mike Byrne, art director Bill Karow, copywriter Alberto Ponte, executive producer Ben Grylewicz and agency producer Andrew Loevenguth.
Director Chris Palmer at Gorgeous, London, worked with director of photography Ben Seresin.
‘Tennis Instructor’ was edited by Haines Hall at Spot Welders. Telecine was done by colorist Stefan Sonnefeld at Company 3, Los Angeles. Visual effects were developed by Flame artist Ben Gibbs at Sea Level, Venice, LA, who host a 30 second version of Tennis Instructor as a 3.74 mb quicktime video.
He Needs Me
Sound was designed by Brian Emrich at Trinitite Studios. Music for Nike Tennis Instructor was ‘He Needs Me’, performed by Shelley Duval in the movie, Popeye, and used in the soundtrack of Punch Drunk Love.
And all at once I knew
I knew at once
I knew he needed me
Until the day I die
I won’t know why
I knew he needed me
It could be fantasy, o-oh
Or maybe it’s because
He needs me he needs me
He needs me he needs me
He needs me he needs me
Dah de da da da…
[eminimall products="nike womens tennis shoes"]
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