Lance Acord of Park Pictures directed and shot this commercial which celebrates the triumph of a young female runner, not all that athletic looking, who struggles to finish last in a marathon—but finish she does. She comes into view after we see several other straggler runners well ahead of her and a marathon landscape littered by water bottles left by those who had long ago finished the 26.2 mile trek. At this juncture of the marathon, the path is so free and clear that we even see a woman pushing her stroller across the street.
Titled “Last,” this Nike spot from Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore., shows us the true, deeper meaning of personal achievement, and serves as a fitting follow-up to this brand’s classic “Jogger” spot, also directed by Acord. “Jogger” earned an Emmy Award nomination in 2013.
While the two Nike spots are distinctly different, there are some common bonds, including the indomitable spirit of the protagonists and the technique of the slow backward tracking shot that helps to underscore a reflective, contemplative tone and feel.
A female voiceover tells us at the top of the spot that the very first person to run 26.2 miles wound up dying—and he was a runner. Later, as we see our present-day last place runner, the voiceover continues, “You are not a runner. You are especially not a marathon runner. But at the end of this, you will be.”
The spot directs viewers to nike.com/running and promotes the Nike+ Run Club which serves runners of all levels of ability and experience—or lack thereof.
“Last” is driven by a soundtrack featuring the aptly titled Aretha Franklin tune, “Every Little Bit Hurts.” Music house was Portland-based Walker with Sara Matarazzo as music supervisor and Abbey Hickman as music producer. Sound designer was Michael Anastasi of Barking Owl, Los Angeles, with support from exec producer Kelly Bayett. Audio post mixer was Jeff Payne of Eleven Sound, with Dawn Redmann producing.
Sound feedback
Barking Owl’s Anastasi noted that the so-called incidental action in “Last” was key to his approach to sound design for the project. “We were able to get involved in the spot incredibly early which gave us the opportunity to really Foley and get all the right textures. The footsteps and the actions of the people doing things off on the side was our focus,” he affirmed. “If it was the stroller, people talking, the guy sweeping. We really wanted it to feel like the end of the marathon so you wanted to feel the crowd in the distance…Everyone cleaning up, having been out since early morning and just wrapping up the day. Detail in the sound design was going to make it realistic and bring you into the environment and surround you in the moment.”
While Barking Owl benefited from early involvement, Anastasi didn’t get the opportunity to work early on relative to coordinating with the music. “We didn’t work with the music too much as that was decided at the very end,” he explained. “So we treated it like sound design only to make sure that no matter what track went in, we had and could easily bring up the proper moments. Once the Aretha Franklin track was chosen, we were able to really craft the sound design to the moments and quiet within that track and get into what was most important which was the struggle turning to determination of our hero. That required the most detailed footsteps, where she was dragging and then picking up. We had to re-record breath as a session with the agency to make sure the performance was spot on. We wanted to feel her breathing and that her breath would be become more labored and as soon as she decides that she can do it, we feel a change. A new motivation that brings her to the finish line expressed by her breath.”
The Wieden+Kennedy creative team on “Last” included: Alberto Ponte, Ryan O’Rourke, global creative directors; Dan Viens, interactive director; Evelyn Loomis, interactive producer; Matt Hunnicutt, global executive producer; Heather Ryder, Darcie Burrell, writers; Patty Orlando, art director; Shelley Eisner, producer; Julie Gursha, associate producer; Henry Lambert, strategic planning; and Mark Fitzloff and Joe Staples, executive creative directors.
Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors edited “Last.” Director Acord’s support team at Park Pictures included executive producers Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Mary Ann Marino, and line producer Caroline Kousidonis.
