Nike's campaign for Saudi Arabia empowers young women and encourages them to take up sports

The film, executed by Wieden+Kennedy, aims to help young women realise their potential.

Global sportswear brand Nike has come out with its new campaign in Saudi Arabia titled What if you can?. The minute-and-a-half film aims to inspire young girls in the kingdom to embrace their potential and motivates them to participate in sports.

The film has gathered more than 3.7 crore views on Youtube and is generating buzz on social media.

The ad film showcases a teenage girl’s exploration of movements in her everyday life. It all starts when a football comes rolling towards her, and a fellow young girl asks, ‘Do you want to play?’. The teenager then uncovers her abilities and finds herself enjoying physical activities, which in turn boosts her self-confidence.

“To fill Saudi girls with confidence and excitement to begin their sports journey, Nike will help them realise their hidden potential. With our campaign, we want every girl to confidently ask herself... ‘but what if I can?’”

“Sport is growing fast in Saudi Arabia, it’s everywhere and it’s unmissable. But for young women, sport is still something foreign and intimidating. Some don’t see the opportunity, some don’t feel supported, some don’t know the rules or where to start. So whilst there’s a small percentage of girls leading the charge, left in the sidelines are millions more waiting for the right moment to get involved.”

The agency also collaborated with Haifaa Al Mansour, one of Saudi Arabia's best-known and the kingdom's first female filmmakers.

Nike’s social conscious marketing

The film is a reflection of the changing socio-cultural nuances of Saudi Arabia. Nike is known for taking a strong stand on social issues. The brand has been an advocate for socially conscious marketing. 

For example, in 2018 the sportswear giant released a campaign starring Colin Kaepernick which created a great buzz. The film titled Dream Crazy was considered revolutionary in many ways because Kaepernick had created headlines in 2016 after he was seen kneeling for the pre-game national anthem as a sign of protest against racial injustice in the United States during the Black Lives Matter movement.

Kaepernick  in the film says, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Just do it.”

 The company had also flipped its tagline to read, “For once, don’t do it,” addressing ongoing protests and systemic racism in America.

Similarly in 2021, the brand released a spot titled The Land of New Football, that featured a number of inclusive characters – gay, straight, black, white, women, etc. The film’s aim was to say that sports is for everyone irrespective of who they are.