Wieden+Kennedy London created this Nike short, titled Nothing Beats a Londoner, which centers on enterprising, fiercely competitive, young Londoners who shape sport and culture in the metropolis around them. These hungry, resourceful and confident youngsters take us on a whistle-stop tour of their city–with the help of cameos from some of the Londoners they look up to, even as they strive to one-up them with their own sporting achievements. 

Shot on the streets of the capital–in the very neighborhoods that will produce the next Skepta, Dina Asher-Smith or Harry Kane–areas such as Dalston, Peckham and Brixton provide a vivid backdrop for the joyful bravado, passion for sport and unique London spirit that unites each of the 258 real-life young Londoners who appear in the film.

The side of London explored in “Nothing Beats a Londoner” illustrates how, for the next generation, an urban environment is a playground, a canvas for creativity, self-expression and movement. Nike London is committed to making this playground even better for young people in the city, creating unique inspirational experiences that help them unlock their potential through the power of sport.

The predominantly London-born-and-bred cast is made up of real athletes and joined by a plethora of famous faces, from sporting legends to music stars, including Mo Farah, Harry Kane, Dina Asher-Smith, Gareth Southgate and Skepta. 

As the young Londoners are the focus, they launched the campaign through their social channels. Each of the athletes was been given their scene as a standalone piece of content, which they posted on Instagram, linking to the next competitor to create a massive social media battle between some of London’s best young athletes. Soon after, the edits were amplified by the famous faces who also star in the campaign. The full version of the film is now being shown across TV, Cinema and Online.

Nothing Beats a Londoner was directed by collective Megaforce, who have created films for artists and brands including Rihanna, Madonna and Instagram. Production was handled by Riff Raff Films. 

Credits

Client Nike Agency Wieden+Kennedy London Paddy Treacy, Mark Shanley, creative directors; Tom Corcoran, Tom Bender, creatives; Tony Davidson, Iain Tait, executive creative directors; James Guy, head of production/executive producer; Michelle Brough, TV producer; Rose Fairley, TV production assistant. Production Riff Raff Megaforce, director; Matthew Fone, exec producer; Nick Goldsmith, line producer; Nicolas Loir, DP. Editorial Final Cut Joe Guest, editor. VFX  Time Based Arts, London Sheldon Gardner, Francois, Roisin, VFX supervisors; Michael Aveling, Jamie Crofts, Thiago Dantas, Al Ford, Stephen Grasso, Matt Jackson, Adam Paterson, Ben Stonehouse, Luke Todd, Leo Weston, Flame; Aitor Arroyo, Ralph Briscoe, Linda Cieniawska, Matt Shires, Bernardo Varela, Leandro Vazquez, Grant White, Nuke; Ben Cantor, Dan Davie, Oscar Gonzalez Diez, Federico Guzzardo, Tom Hall, Dave Loh, Sam Osborne, Nigel Timms, Federico Vanone, Chris Wood, CGI; Jess Gorick, Stephen Ross, motion graphics; Sylvie Minois, matte painting; Simone Grattarola, color grade; James Allen, Tom Johnson, color grade; Chris Aliano, producer. (Toolbox: Flame, Flame Assist, Flare, Nuke, Maya, XSI, Houdini, ZBrush, Arnold, Resolve) Sound 750MPH Sam Ashwell, sound designer; Mary-Ann D’Cruz, producer. Music Mr. Papa John Connon, music supervisor

MySHOOT Profiles