Creative > Ad of the Day

Ad of the Day

Jordan "Slap"

Brand: Jordan Apparel
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Inc.
Review Date: October 28, 2009

These days, a 60-second commercial (on the rare occasions when you see one) can seem as long as Ivan the Terrible Part 1 plus Ivan the Terrible Part 2. As such, perhaps the most notable achievement of this 60-second spot for Nike's Jordan brand (via Wieden+Kennedy) is that it seems to go by so quickly. That's all the more remarkable since the visual elements of the spot are largely the familiar stuff of athletic-wear commercials -- athletes working out, practicing, getting frustrated, slamming a piece of equipment (or, at moments, a teammate), practicing some more. But it's all put together here in a way that gives it a sense of drama, building up to the moral (stated by a coach we see addressing his team) that "You gotta work hard to win.

"The rapid shift from one sport to another (lots of football, some basketball, a bit of baseball) could have been distracting or confusing, but the viewer instead has a sense of peering beyond the varied surfaces of different sports to perceive the inner drive one needs to "Become Legendary" (as the campaign's motto puts it) in any sport.

And that, I think, is a crucial part of why the spot works. It isn't simply celebrating the people we see on the screen here. After all, our patience in this era for watching other people being celebrated is pretty limited. The spot also implicitly flatters the viewer for his (or her -- but more often his) connoisseurship of athletic intensity, from the noisy bluster on a team bus to the silent concentration of a Derek Jeter. --Mark Dolliver

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Overall rating:
(2.41 ) Poor

17 Comments
  • 1. ddebnam comments:
    November 12, 2009

    Great ad, I love the effects and the excecution of the ad. Only thing is adidas benefits from this spot at the end when they show D Wade in the huddle the adidas logo is very visible. The spot would have been perfect if they could have showed him on the court or something to avoid showing a competitors brand.


  • 2. TooClose comments:
    November 12, 2009

    The spot is executed very well, but they've taken a creative approach that is too close to the clapping, stomping, chest-pounding work from Under Armour. Granted, Under Armour wishes they could execute a spot this well, but this looks and feels like the best Under Armour spot I've ever seen, instead of a distinctly Jordan spot.


  • 3. Not proud comments:
    November 03, 2009

    My foot would not be proud to have done this.


  • 4. Age discrimination comments:
    November 02, 2009

    It's quite clear that W+K NY hired a couple of 70 year old creatives and produced whatever they came up with, because this spot is ancient!


  • 5. Mike comments:
    November 02, 2009

    Not sure what some folks hate about this spot. It's wonderfully shot and edited, and like the best Nike spots, doesn't hit you over the head with a straightforward ad message, but slowly pulls you into the brand's mind-space. Nicely done.


  • 6. Worked on comments:
    November 02, 2009

    I wish I worked on Nike in 1986 when this was done like five times.


  • 7. nycadgirlinlondon comments:
    November 02, 2009

    you guys are all just haters cuz you wished you worked on the Nike accounts -lets face it.


  • 8. 1985 comments:
    October 30, 2009

    So lame.


  • 9. J.J. Sakala comments:
    October 30, 2009

    pretty intense, you just gotta love it


  • 10. Machinery comments:
    October 30, 2009

    Set up and contrived. Zero stars.


  • 11. GREAT! comments:
    October 29, 2009

    This spot was fresh in 1980. It was cool in 1990. It was special in 2000. It sucks in 2009!


  • 12. sleepy comments:
    October 29, 2009

    BORING.


  • 13. AB in Santa Barbara comments:
    October 29, 2009

    Woulda been great in 1987. -AB


  • 14. Boring comments:
    October 29, 2009

    Nothing new here.


  • 15. confused comments:
    October 29, 2009

    not original. been done dozens upon dozens of times. this could be an ad for any sneaker, athletic wear company.


  • 16. me comments:
    October 29, 2009

    Dramatic, emotional and compelling. Nike gets it right again. This spot sticks with you and builds on an already legendary brand.


  • 17. Ed comments:
    October 28, 2009

    Great. Says a lot without saying a lot: a mark of a true artist. This has the feeling of a film in fact. A lot is left to the viewer to fill in, but not too much. I wish Nike would put the same kind of passion into taking care of its overseas workers as much as they put into clever--no brilliant creative ideas like this. (But yeah, I know, that of course is a story for another time.) I'd vote for this in an awards show. Gold. Good work team.


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