Nike Created a Hypnotic Tribute to Eliud Kipchoge, the Fastest Marathoner of All Time

When Nike wanted to attempt the almost certainly impossible goal of breaking the 2-hour marathon mark—a massively time-consuming, expensive and exhausting effort now known as "Breaking2"—the brand largely pinned its hopes on Eliud Kipchoge. The Kenyan long-distance dominator fell heartbreakingly short of the goal, crossing the finish line just 25 seconds over two hours on May 6, 2017, and Nike opted not to make another attempt. But Nike execs said they believed all the innovation and effort, especially on Kipchoge's part, could end up changing the way marathons were run and won. On Sunday, Kipchoge might have proven those optimistic predictions right. He didn't just win the Berlin Marathon; he shattered the world record by shaving one minute and 20 seconds off the time set at the same race in 2014 by fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto. Kipchoge finished in 2 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds. (His Breaking2 time, while better, was not an official record per the sport's governing body.) Nike clearly believed such a historic race was on the horizon. In its 30th anniversary Just Do It spot that debuted earlier this month, we see footage of Kipchoge as narrator Colin Kaepernick says: "Don't try to be the fastest runner in your school or the fastest in the world. Be the fastest ever." Then, a day before his Berlin run, Nike and Wieden + Kennedy Portland rolled out a full ad dedicated to Kipchoge. You won't see too much of him in the ad, but that's because the ad puts you in his sneakers: [kickout id="1"] While minimalist, the ad is also patient and hypnotic. It captures the vibe of rhythmic determination that defines distance running, and while it likely won't get audience's hearts pumping like a highlight reel of high-powered tennis volleys and bone-rattling NFL plays, it's still got a quiet power of its own. CREDITS: Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland Executive Creative Directors: Eric Baldwin, Jason Bagley Creative Directors: Alberto Ponte, Ryan O’Rourke Writer: Caio Mattoso Art Director: Rodrigo Mendes Director of Production: Matt Hunnicutt, Mike Davidson Executive Producer: Jake Grand Producers: Mauricio Granado, Tiffany Golden Business Affairs Manager: Nestor Gandia Account Team: Andre Gustavo, Kate Rutkowski, Mike Waywell, Brittany Martin Strategic Planning: Andy Lindblade, Nathan Goldberg Media: Daniel Sheniak, Geoff Scoones, Vivian Zhang Project Managers: Shannon Hutchinson, John Radaza Integrated Traffic Managers: Marie Hernandez, Tim Bell Studio Manager: Alicia Kuna Studio Designers: Seth Shelman, Shayne Kybartas Production: Biscuit Filmworks Director: Isaiah Seret Executive Producer: Jeff McDougall Line Producer: Jonathan Wang Director of Photography: Alwin Kuchler Editorial Company: Joint Editor: Nicholas Davis Assistant Editor: Jonathan Schell Post Producer: Chris Girard Post Executive Producer: Leslie Carthy VFX Studio: JAMM VFX Supervisor/ Lead Compositor: Brian Hajek On Set Supervisor: Patrick Munoz CG Artist: Stew Burris CG Artist: Zachary Dimaria CG Artist: Fred Hopp VFX Producer: Justine Pregler Executive Producer: Asher Edwards JOINT Flame Artist: David Jahns Music Supervision: Walker Executive Producer: Sara Matarazzo Senior Producer: Stephanie Pigott Song: Tree’s Written by Robert DiPietro Performed by Robert DiPietro Engineer: Graeme Gibson Mix Company: Joint Audio Mixer: Noah Woodburn Audio Mix Assistant: Natalie Huizenga Mix Executive Producer: Leslie Carthy Sound Design Company: Joint Sound Designer: Noah Woodburn Producer: Leslie Carthy