It’s said that pressure can be good. It’s stress that’s bad. Case in point–pressure is needed to get water through a hose. But stress on a hose can cause breakage that prevents the smooth flow of water.

Thus pressure vs. stress is a key distinction. And in this spot for Volkswagen from agency Johannes Leonardo, we see how pressure has over time driven soccer star Christian Pulisic to excel.

Entitled “Diamonds,” this :60 tells a shared story of taking on pressure to create something meaningful and impactful. Pulisic is an elite athlete under pressure to perform. It’s a pressure he’s felt his own life–and it’s once again present on the road to the FIFA World Cup this fall.

Similarly VW is under pressure to protect and preserve our environment–to change the world through the innovation of electric vehicles.

Indeed how we handle the pressure dictates if we succeed and what we create. After all, diamonds are a result of pressure. And this commercial shows the positive side of working through pressure to move to a brighter future–Pulisic as captain of the U.S. Men’s National Team. And VW with the assembly of its all-electric ID.4 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“Diamonds” was directed by Adam Hashemi of RESET Content.

Credits

Client Volkswagen Group of America Agency Johannes Leonardo, New York Jan Jacobs, Leo Premutico, co-founders & co-creative chairmen; Julia Neumann, chief creative officer; Jonathan Santana, group creative director; Carolyn Davis, creative director/art director; Matthew Page, creative director/copywriter; Charles Watlington, design director; Olga Vladova, associate design director; Maria Perez, head of production; Rebecca O’Neill, group executive producer; Victoria Bennett, executive producer; Grace Kenney, producer; Mary Bakarich, group strategy director; Cooper Lemon, communications strategy director; Brendan Chareoncharutkun, Matthew Choi, sr. strategists. Production Company RESET Content Adam Hashemi, director; Dave Morrison, managing director; Jen Beitler, exec producer. Production Services Company, U.K. Arts & Sciences, UK Ewen Brown, line producer; Eigil Bryld, DP; Christian Friedland, production designer; Mr Gammon, costume designer. Editorial Exile Edit Jacob Schulsinger, lead editor; Anchor Mak, assistant editor; Sasha Hirschfeld, managing partner; Grace Hammerstein, producer. Finish/VFX/Color Grade Blacksmith Tom Bussell, VFX supervisor; Kshitij Khanna, lead compositor; Yebin Ahn, Robert Bruce, Jacob Slutsky, compositors; Olivier Varteressian, Tuna Unalan, CG leads; Jackie Liao, Kushal Das, Michael Marsek, Wei-Ting Duo, Nick Owoyemi, Cathy Phan, Rik Walia, Sung Joon Kim, CG team; Mikey Pehanich, colorist; Sam Howells, color assistant; Charlotte Arnold, exec producer; Ashley Goodwin, producer. Audio Post Sonic Union Steve Rosen, Rob DiFondi, mix engineers; Justine Cortale, audio post studio director; Joey Glick, mix assistant. Sound Design Trinitite Inc. Brian Emrich, sound designer & mix engineer. Music Leland Music Ed Bailie, managing director/music supervisor; Toby Williams, director/music supervisor; Dan Deacon, composer. Licensed music: “Weeping Birch”

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