Nike's Surrealism

Weird, wonderful, surreal, strange and sinister. Not adjectives generally associated with a mega-brand like Nike. However, their latest piece of content We Believe in the Power of Love begs to differ.

Directed by Luca Finotti, the recent Nike short film takes us on an unusual, quirky journey of love. The film is dark, sinister and sensual, focusing on a diverse group of couples of all shapes, sizes and sexualities who find themselves in mysterious and kooky environments: think naked characters on a horse, silhouettes on a quadbike etc.

The edit is jerky and disjointed, flitting suddenly and awkwardly between scenes whilst neon animations intermittently digitalise the weird and wonderful shots. Nike ticks, dogs’ eyes, basketballs and even toenails are lit up by this innovative animation technique and make the whole film seem scratched and somewhat glitchy. What’s more, fragments of photographs are sporadically overlaid on the characters’ faces, making them look like fantastical, abnormal cubist paintings; in fact, this technique is reminiscent of David Hockney’s cubist photography.  

To complement, an ominous bass-heavy track comes in about halfway through the clip, enhancing the ambiance and giving a sort of malevolent feeling to the whole piece. 

All in all, it’s a feast of creativity and one which you’ll need to watch over and over again to appreciate every little element of genius that the director includes. Have a look here.