"The Ball Makes Us More"

19 March 2018

90s

Rebel causes.

This film for Nike appears to go beyond its ostensible remit of reminding us of the association between its sportswear and Barcelona FC. It appears to be offering tacit solidarity with the people of Catalonia after the repression of their unofficial independence referendum last year.

The dynamism of the split screen effect allows for a lot of imagery to float across the screen in an almost subliminal fashion and this provides director Wally Pfister with the opportunity to include moments which appear to offer encouragement to those still reeling from the robustness of Madrid's reactionary policing of the October 2017 ballot.

Barcelona's football team is - in any case - a focus of the pro-independence movement and Nike's support of it a good fit for its long-held positioning as an anti-establishment force.

UK

Sportswear