Nike’s “Dream Crazy” commercial, first aired in 2018, has won the 2019 Emmy for Outstanding Commercial. The Nike Dream Crazy commercial, featuring the voice of controversial NFL player Colin Kaepernick, was launched in September 2018, soon after the outdoor and online campaign featuring the same athlete. Kaepernick had been experiencing harsh criticism for his decision to kneel during the playing of the US national anthem, a protest against police brutality. Nike produced a Twitter post with Kaepernick’s face and the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything”. The response from the US public was divided, winning and losing support for the brand. Nike’s statement, in each element of the Dream Crazy campaign, put those words into action, reinforcing the 30-year-old mantra, “Just Do It”.

The Nike Dream Crazy commercial features professional sport stars LeBron James, Serena Williams, football wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ), and Kenyan long distance runner Eliud Kipchoge. 29-year-old basketball phenom and wheelchair athlete Megan Blunk took gold in Rio in 2016. Isaiah Bird, who was born without legs, at 10 years old has become the one to beat on his wrestling team. Charlie Jabaley, an Ironman who made over his life by dropping 120 pounds and going vegan, in the process reversed the growth of a life-long brain tumor. Michigander Alicia Woollcott, simultaneously played linebacker and was named homecoming queen during her high school senior season. American football linebacker Shaquem Griffin who plays without a left hand. Additional appearances are made by Canadian soccer star Alphonso Davies, Hawaiian big wave surfer Kai Lenny, American skateboarders Lacey Baker and Nyjah Huston, German champion boxer Zeina Nassar, and the U.S. Soccer’s Women’s National Team.

Nike Dream Crazy Transcript

If people say your dreams are crazy
If they laugh at what you think you can do
Good
Stay that way
Because what non-believers fail to understand is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult
It’s a compliment
Don’t try to be the fastest runner in your school
Or the fastest in the world
Be the fastest ever
Don’t picture yourself wearing OBJ’s jersey
Picture OBJ wearing yours
Don’t settle for homecoming queen or linebacker
Do both
Lose 120 pounds and become an Ironman after beating a brain tumor
Don’t believe you have to be like anybody to be somebody
If you’re born a refugee, don’t let that stop you from playing soccer
For the national team
At age 16
Don’t become the best basketball player on the planet
Be bigger than basketball
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything
When they talk about the greatest team in the history of the sport, make sure it’s your team
If you have only one hand, don’t just watch football
Play it
At the highest level
And if you’re a girl from Compton, don’t just become a tennis player
Become the greatest athlete ever
Yeah, that’s more like it
So don’t ask if your dreams are crazy
Ask if they’re crazy enough.

Awards

The campaign won the inaugural Entertainment Grand Prix for Sport at Cannes in June 2019, along with the Outdoor Grand Prix, and went on at the One Show 2019 to win Best Of Show, Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix, Integrated Grand Prix, Print & Outdoor Grand Prix, Social Media Grand Prix. The campaign one a Black Pencil at D&AD 2019.

Nike Dream Crazy Credits

The Dream Crazy campaign was developed at Wieden+Kennedy Portland by creative directors Ryan O’Rourke, Alberto Ponte, Chris Groom, Antony Goldstein, copywriters Dylan Lee, Alex Romans, Kevin Steele, Adam Tetreault, Caio Mattoso, Sheena Bradley, Myles Brown, art directors Sara Phillips, Aramis Isreal, James Moslander, Lee Jennings, Brandon Mugar, director of production Matt Hunnicutt, executive agency producers Jake Grand and Krystle Mortimore, producers Katie McCain and Shelley Eisner, associate producers Kacey Klonsky, Emily Knight and Candice Harbour, strategy director Andy Lindblade, strategists Nathan Goldberg and Andy Lindblade, global account director Andre Gustavo, account director Luiza Prata Carvalho, account executives Mike Waywell and William Frazier, Business Affairs Manager Alicia Willett, creative manager Zilla Peoples, design manager Alicia Kuna, design lead Joan Comellas, broadcast traffic manager Tim Bell, business affairs manager Maureen Doyle, illustrator/designer Liliya Dru, design director Frazer Goodbody, print producers Denise Hanggi and María Hernández, print and fabrication producer Kristin Holder, studio production designer Rob Mumford, graphic designer Cathy Ormerod, senior studio specialist Beth Schuenemann, associate producer Shani Storey, retoucher Saskia Thomson, designer Brian Troyer, art buyer Tedi Tsuruda, business affairs manager Alicia Willett, designer Mitch Wilson, UI designer Trevor Schulte, video editor Dylan Sylwester, design lead Joan Comellas, design operations lead Alicia Kuna, associate directors digital and media strategy Ryan Craven and Geoff Scoones, NA media director Reme DeBisschop, global communications planning director Daniel Sheniak, comms planning team Graham Wallace and Vivian Zhang.

Filming was shot by directors Lance Acord, Emmanuel Lubezki, and Christian Weber, via Park Pictures, with producer Anne Bobroff, executive producers Caroline Kousidonis, Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Scott Howard.

Editors were Peter Wiedensmith (W+K) and Lauren Dellara at Rock Paper Scissors, with lead assistant editor Kristy Faris at Joint Editorial.

Colorist was Sofie Borup at Company 3 with producers James Graves, Alexandra Lubrano and Ashley McKim.

Visual effects were produced at A52 by Joe Chiechi, Kim Christensen, Mike Bettinardi, Joseph Brattesani, James Buongiorno, Michael Cardenas, Bryan Cox, Brendan Crockett, Enid Dalkoff, Stefan Gaillot, Shahana Khan, Jesse Monsour, Patrick Murphy, Patrick Nugent, Joe Paniagua, Michael Plescia, Andrew Rosenberger, Gabe Sanchez, Brad Scott, Kirk Shintani, Michael Steinmann, Kevin Stokes, Mike Vaglienty, and producer Gabrielle Yuro.

Sound was designed by Noah Woodburn, Natalie Huizenga and Rohan Young at Joint Editorial, with post producer Kathleen Russell, executive post producer Leslie Carthy. Sound was mixed at Lime Studios by Ben Tomastik with producer Susie Boyajan.

Music is “We Move Lightly” by composer Dustin O’Halloran, via Walker Music, with music supervisors Stephanie Pigott and Danielle Soury, and executive producer Sara Matarazzo.