Monday, 24 March 2008 | Levent OZLER
Identity is There From the Start for Nike
 Revolution.mov ( 3MB ) - Viewed 202 times
Laurent Chanez of Identity directs this inspirational Nike project for TV and web out of Wieden + Kennedy, Tokyo. Shot in three countries, the premise is simple... everyone is on equal ground no matter the level of expertise. The days of running in solitude are obsolete with the newest product to hit the market Nike+.
A device that tracks your runs through distance, time and calories burned, Nike+ is made to fit into the sole of Nike shoes and transmit information to an iPod Nano, the runners of the world can unite. Owner/EP Joe Masi comments on the production, "This was an extremely challenging project in that we had very little time to shoot all the celebrity athletes. We took a very guerrilla approach, opting to use cars and vans to shuttle the talent to various locations quickly instead of setting up a huge production hub and locking off shots. It took an adept, spontaneous visual stylist with a keen eye for moments such as Laurent to pull this thing off - and I think the results speak for themselves."
The Spot
A solitary figure draws a line in the sand as he steps up to the start. We begin to see more runners warming up across the globe, joining together in a world-wide running movement.
As everyone begins to prepare physically and mentally for the challenges that will be placed on their bodies, the athletes are suddenly lined up side by side by the hundreds, ready to push their minds and bodies to the brink. Nike is there to track, record and motivate the world in its crusade that pits runner against runner and country against country in a race for global health and wellness.
"This project was interesting in that there were a lot of different things to shoot around the world that would let the viewer know time and place without being too obvious about location," says Director Laurent Chanez from Identity. "I didn't want to show where we were by using a monument, or other obvious choice. The viewer knows the athletes are in different places based on the film color and look of each distinct scene which adds to the richness of the spot. Each athlete had to fit within that particular moment, and everyone had to be connected to the same line, on the same level. Everything was presented thoroughly from the agency in the storyboards, but once we were at location, and being able to catch light and create various angles, we were able to add subtle, interesting moments to each scene. The Japanese creatives are very hip, and culturally knowledgeable, but are deeply mired in their own culture. There were many unique challenges, that ended up elevating the level of the project."
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