Mere participation isn't winning, says Nike in Paralympics spot

It’s the continuation of its ‘Winning Isn’t For Everyone’ campaign from the Summer Olympic Games.

Juxtaposing personality traits of a classic Hollywood villain in verse with visuals of athletes in their flow set the tone for Nike’s Summer Olympic Games campaign that espoused winning as the only goal; Winning Isn’t For Everyone was its call sign.

Now, the American sportswear and apparel giant is spreading this mentality to the Paralympics Games that start today (August 28) in Paris and will go on till September 8, 2024.

Set to Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven, the 30-second spot dismisses the belief that just being present at and participating in the Games is a win. “Last time I checked, winning is winning,” remarks Italian fencer and Nike athlete Beatrice Vio.

“Let’s get something straight. Winning is winning,” states Nike in the ad’s description reinforcing its messaging.

The film features Nike athletes: Bebe Vio, Markus Rehm, Beatriz Hatz, Núria Marquès, Jetze Plat, Léon Schäfer, Diede de Groot, Ixhelt González, Noah Malone, Niels Vink, Charles-Antoine Kouakou, and Alexis Hanquinquant.

The insights for the campaign came directly from Nike athletes, who made it clear that if you don’t aim to win, you’ve already lost, according to a press note from Nike about both ad films.

The new ad focuses only on winning because there is nothing else. On the other hand, the earlier spot emphasised how the traits of winners – often seen as selfish – do not make them bad people.

However, there was criticism against Nike for its July spot. The Olympics are often seen as a spectacle that unites people; to see athletes wanting to win at any cost was a message viewers did not enjoy seeing from the brand.  

Independent creative agency Wieden+Kennedy made both ads through its Portland office. The agency has worked on the Nike brand for over two decades now.

Nike is known for its thought-provoking and polarising ads that ultimately go viral. One such example was its 2018 ad film that starred Colin Kaepernick, a National Football League (NFL) athlete. It said, "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

Kaepernick came under extreme scrutiny after he kneeled during the national anthem at an NFL game as a sign of protest against systemic racism in the United States; his career suffered a blow after his activism.