Nike is tapping into the power of ‘femvertising’, employing pro-female talent, messages and imagery to empower women and girls. Its first campaign in Saudi Arabia, titled ‘What if You Can?’, is proof.
The video begins with a student sitting on the steps when a football is kicked toward her. Although the girl decides not to join the game, she spends the rest of her day finding inspiration in every action she takes. Everyday school scenes become spaces of athletic opportunity. Library shelves turn into a climbing wall, and a bench becomes a balance beam as she dreams about doing well in sports.
Created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, the film reflects the changing socio-cultural nuances of Saudi Arabia.
Sports is growing fast in the Kingdom. According to the World Economic Forum, the Middle East’s sports industry is expected to grow by 8.7% by 2026 – compared with global sector growth of 3.3% over the same period.
But for a vast majority of young women, sports is still something foreign and intimidating. Nike’s campaign aims to bridge this gap. The message is clear and inspiring – every girl should feel confident enough to ask herself, ‘What if You Can?’
Just do it
The smooth transitions and clever edits in the video, directed by Saudi Arabia’s first female filmmaker, Haifaa Al Mansour, hold your attention till the very end.
Toward the end of the video, a return to the initial scene offers the girl a chance to reconsider her decision and — just do it.
“I hope the film will encourage young women to push their boundaries and always look for new opportunities. If this film encourages girls to go out and try a sport for the first time, that would be the most rewarding thing I can possibly imagine,” Haifaa Al Mansour said.
On YouTube, the clip has clocked over 37 million views, while the patriotic sentiments of the viewers were overflowing in the comment section.
Here are some reactions: “Saudi Arabia is progressing and its proud Saudi Arabian women are contributing to it. Great to see this from”, “It represents us, our thoughts and orientations as Saudis. I thank Nike that they represented our Saudi reality fairly”, “Lovvvveee it because it’s in Saudi Arabia we’ll support the brand.”
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‘Best Nike commercial’
Nike’s inclination toward ‘femvertising’ isn’t new. In 2016, the brand gave us goosebumps with their portrayal of the power of Indian women. Its campaign, Da Da Ding, directed by Francois Rousselet, was a hit.
The anthem by Gener8ion, featuring American rapper Gizzle, charts the rise of Indian women across sports. Apart from keeping the video alive, the beats also give an adrenaline rush to the viewers.
It featured hockey player Rani Rampal, footballer Jyoti Ann Burrett, cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, and actress Deepika Padukone, who was shown playing badminton.
Fortunately, the brand included Indian sportswomen instead of relying solely on their former brand ambassador, Padukone, to carry the commercial.
The not-so-girly advertisement simply challenged the societal stereotype of a woman being shy and weak.
Audience even termed it the “best Nike commercial ever.”
Beyond its embrace of womanhood, Nike continues to celebrate the accomplishments of athletes.
In 2019, they started an initiative, Nike Instazine — an Instagram magazine to highlight the achievements of female athletes.
The same year, they also rolled out a campaign, Dream Crazier, by W+K Portland. The brand shared stories of female athletes who have inspired a new generation of women players.
They packed high-voltage emotions in the 90-second video, which is both overwhelming and inspiring.
With ‘What If You Can?’, Nike has continued their winning streak.
And, their message is loud and clear — women are the present and future of sports.
Brand: Nike
Advertising agency: Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam
Director: Haifaa Al Mansour
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)