Front Cover
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START
Introduction
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IT STARTS WITH AN IDEA. AN IDEA THAT WILL GET THE WORLD TALKING. AN IDEA THAT REFLECTS THE FEELINGS AND AMBITIONS OF OUR CLIENT. IN THE CASE OF ADIDAS, THE QUESTION WAS: “HOW DO WE ENCAPSULATE OUR PAST AND PRESENT COMMITMENT TO SPORT AND OFFER OUR AUDIENCE AN INSPIRING MESSAGE FOR THE FUTURE?” IT’S A LOT TO ASK OF A HUMBLE COMMERCIAL. WE DECIDED TO SWING FOR THE FENCES. AN AUDACIOUS PROJECT THAT WAS OVER A YEAR IN THE MAKING AND INVOLVED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL ASPECTS OF FILM-MAKING. AS WE HAD HOPED THE CAMPAIGN BECAME ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT CAMPAIGNS IN THE WORLD. THE QUESTION WE GET THE MOST IS: “HOW DID YOU DO THAT?” THIS BOOK IS ALL ABOUT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION AND CELEBRATING THE EFFORTS OF ALL THE PASSIONATE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN BRINGING THIS CAMPAIGN TO LIFE.
Introduction
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THE IDEA
ORIGINALLY CAME FROM WATCHING TELECASTS OF MODERN DOWNHILL SKIING. BROADCASTERS ARE NOW ABLE TO COMPARE TIMES BY GHOSTING ONE SKIER OVER ANOTHER. WE THEN STARTED TO WONDER HOW PEOPLE FROM THE PAST WOULD COMPARE WITH CURRENT ATHLETES. AND SO A SCRIBBLE WAS MADE SHOWING JESSE OWENS LINED UP AGAINST A MODERN SPRINTER.
Introduction
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A GOOD WAY TO COMPARE THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNIQUE, TIMES AND EQUIPMENT OVER THE YEARS. THE IDEA EVOLVED INTO MANY DIFFERENT FORMS BUT ALWAYS AT THE CORE WAS THIS NOTION OF THE PAST MEETING THE PRESENT, AND THE BASIC HUMAN DRIVE TO IMPROVE AND DO WHAT NO ONE HAS DONE BEFORE. IN OTHER WORDS TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
Introduction
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01Ali_Ali
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01Ali_Ali
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THE CHALLENGE “WE ARE CREATING THESE EVENTS IN TIME THAT NEVER EXISTED. WE ARE CREATING MOMENTS THAT IF DONE WELL WE ARE HOPING THAT PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT AND THEN HAVE TO LOOK AT AGAIN AND THEN REALIZE THAT IT DIDN’T ACTUALLY HAPPEN. SO I GUESS IN OUR OWN SMALL WAY WE ARE CREATING SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE.” - LANCE ACORD, DIRECTOR
01Ali_Ali
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THE DETAILS THE BIG PICTURE IS ALL ABOUT THE TINY DETAILS. ALI’S CORNERMEN WERE DRESSED HEAD TO TOE IN THE AUTHENTIC WARDROBE FROM THE ORIGINAL FIGHTS IN 1968. A SEAMLESSLY CHOREOGRAPHED FIGHTING SEQUENCE WAS CREATED USING FOOTAGE FROM THREE DIFFERENT HISTORIC CONTESTS. ALI’S BOOTS WERE HANDMADE USING THE EXACT SAME LEATHER AS THE ORIGINAL BOOTS.
01Ali_Ali
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ORIGINAL ALI FOOTAGE
ROUGH COMPOSITION SEQUENCE :
01Ali_Ali
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LAILA GREENSCREEN FOOTAGE
INSERT <
> DELETE
HOW IT’S DONE PRE-EDIT THE FIGHTING SEQUENCES. HAVE LAILA PERFORM MOVES IN FRONT OF A GIANT GREEN SCREEN. REMOVE THE OLD FIGHTER FROM THE IMAGE AND INSERT LAILA. SIX MONTHS LATER YOU HAVE THE FINISHED ADVERTISEMENT. EASY.
01Ali_Ali
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M
RUMBLE
M
I
EE
YOUNG G I
RU
L A A
QU
E BL
RL
LAIL
RUMBLE
RU
YOUNG G I
RL
E BL
N N O F T H E B E AT D O W LAIL LI A A
SOME ENTIRELY NEW SCENES WERE ALSO CREATED USING MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED EXTRAS. QU EE N N OTHE ILLUSION FORCED PERSPECTIVE LIGHTING GAVE OF A HUGE ARENA AND THE RINGSIDE JOURNALISTS F T H E B E AT D O W SNAPPED AWAY WITH ORIGINAL 60’S CAMERAS. LAILA’S CORNER CREW WERE ALL ACTUAL BOXING CORNERMEN AND TRAINERS.
01Ali_Ali
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14/07/2004, 10:16
“SOME PEOPLE ARE INSECURE IN THE THOUGHT OF A WOMEN BEING STRONG, BEING ABLE TO FIGHT. THEY CAN’T DEAL WITH THAT. THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY WHUP YOUR BUTT.” - LAILA ALI
01Ali_Ali
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REN KLYCE AT MITOUTSOUND IN SAN FRANCISCO COMPOSED ORIGINAL MUSIC FOR ALL SIX COMMERCIALS. HE EMPLOYED FOLEY ARTISTS TO RECREATE LIVE ACTION SOUND EFFECTS AND THEN COMBINED THIS WITH ORIGINAL COMMENTARY. THE RESULT IS A SEAMLESS RECREATION OF EVENTS AS IF THEY HAD ACTUALLY HAPPENED. SPOOKY.
01Ali_Ali
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THE COMMERCIAL TOOK THREE FULL DAYS TO SHOOT. LAILA CONTRIBUTED HEAVILY TO THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF THE FIGHTING SEQUENCES. A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT WENT INTO HOW ALI WOULD EVENTUALLY BE HIT BY LAILA. OBVIOUSLY, RESPECT FOR HER FATHER WAS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE. BOTH FATHER AND DAUGHTER WERE VERY HAPPY WITH THE FINAL COMMERCIAL.
“SHE IS A TRUE BOXER AND TO WATCH HER FIGHT IS A THING OF BEAUTY. IT’S AMAZING HOW GOOD SHE REALLY IS.” - LANCE ACORD, DIRECTOR
01Ali_Ali
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ALI vs ALI 60” TVC FINAL
Impossible isn’t a fact, it’s an opinion.
Like when they said don’t fight Sonny Liston.
He’s too powerful, too experienced.
He’s gonna destroy Ali.
So when my father looks impossible in the eye and defeats it,
again and again...
what do you think I’m gonna do when they say women shouldn’t box?
Yeah, that’s right.
Rumble, young girl, rumble.
01Ali_Ali
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01Ali_Ali
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02Longrun
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THE CANVAS FOR THIS COMMERCIAL IS ORIGINAL 16MM FOOTAGE SHOT BY LEON GAST IN 1974. ALI APPEARED TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE EVER-PRESENT GAST DURING HIS PREPARATIONS FOR THE SO CALLED ‘RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE.’ HOWEVER, ON THIS DAY HE HAD OBVIOUSLY COME TO ACCEPT THE FILM-MAKER AS HE PHONED HIM AND TOLD HIM TO BE UP THE NEXT MORNING TO FILM HIS REGULAR 5 MILE TRAINING RUN. ALTHOUGH PARTS OF THE FOOTAGE HAVE BEEN SEEN BEFORE IN THE DOCUMENTARY “WHEN WE WERE KINGS” ABOUT HALF THE FOOTAGE HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. AND OF COURSE ALI HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN RUNNING WITH SEVEN OF THE WORLD’S MOST ACCOMPLISHED ATHLETES.
02Longrun
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CREW FLIGHT ROUTE
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HOW DO YOU GET SEVEN OF THE WORLD’S TOP ATHLETES TO TAKE A RUN TOGETHER? LITTLE ZAIRE AN UNUSED SECTION OF LAX AIRPORT WAS USED TO REPLICATE THE SCENES ORIGINALLY SHOT IN ZAIRE. DUBBED “LITTLE ZAIRE” BY THE CREW, THE LOCATION WAS AN EXACT MATCH FOR THE ORIGINAL AFRICAN LANDSCAPE. WHEN THE TIME CAME TO ROLL CAMERA LATE IN THE AFTERNOON A MASSIVE CLOUD SLIPPED OVER THE SUN AND A BRIGHT LA SKY BECAME AN AFRICAN DAWN. A RARE CLOUDY SPELL FOR LA AND THE FIRST OF MANY PIECES OF GOOD LUCK THAT ACCOMPANIED THE PRODUCTION.
02Longrun
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AGENCY POST-PRODUCTION FLIGHT ROUTE ������ ��������������� ������ �����
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THE SPEED OF A TREADMILL WAS KEPT CONSTANT SO THAT THE ATHLETES COULD KEEP PERFECT PACE WITH ALI. GROUP SHOTS WERE FILMED ON LOCATION, THEN EACH ATHLETE WAS FILMED INDEPENDENTLY AGAINST A GREEN SCREEN.
02Longrun
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PRE-CALCULATED CAMERA POSITIONS FOR EACH ATHLETE WERE MARKED ON THE FLOOR USING WHITE TAPE. EACH INDIVIDUAL REQUIRED UNIQUE CAMERA ANGLES FOR EACH SHOT. COMBINE THIS WITH SHOOTING THE DIFFERENT ATHLETES IN LA, ORLANDO AND MADRID AND THE WORD ‘CHALLENGING’ BECOMES AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
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14/07/2004, 10:23
“IT WAS A BIT OF A PUZZLE. WE HAD TO COMPOSITE ALL THE ATHLETES INTO THE SAME RUN. IT WAS VERY COMPLICATED. IT MAKES YOUR HEAD HURT.” - DEAN MARYON, ART DIRECTOR
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HAILE GEBRSELASSIE
MINISTER OF SPORT
03Haile
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03Haile
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9
27 MAY 95 WR 2 MILE 8:07.46
03Haile
FOR LONG PERIODS OF HAILE’S INCREDIBLE CAREER HE HAD ONLY HIMSELF TO BEAT. IF YOU ADD UP ALL HIS INDOOR AND OUTDOOR RECORDS, HE ACTUALLY BETTERED HIS PREVIOUS WORLD RECORD TIME ON NINE OCCASSIONS.
31 MAY 97 WR 2 MILE 8:01.10
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4 JUN 94 WR 5,000M 12:56.96
16 AUG 95 WR 5,000M 12:44.39
13 AUG 97 WR 5,000M 12:41.86
14/07/2004, 10:25
How do I make myself believe I can keep going faster? Am I running against my competitors? Am I running against the clock? Am I running for another medal? People aren’t supposed to break their own world record…nine times. That’s impossible, right? But you know, I hate to lose.
13 JUN 98 WR 5,000M 12:39.36
5 JUN 95 WR 10,000M 26:43.53
4 JUL 97 WR10,000M 26:31.32
NO TWO HAILES WERE EXACTLY ALIKE. EACH HAD THEIR OWN UNIFORM, BIB NUMBER AND SHOES. THIS MEANT HAILE HAD TO PUT ON NINE DIFFERENT OUTFITS FOR EACH SHOT.
03Haile
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1 JUN 98 WR 10,000M 26:22.77
TR A
CK
1.
LAS
ER B
EA M
FINISH LINE
THE CREW USED SOME CLEVER TRICKS
2.
TO MAINTAIN THE VARIOUS POSITIONS FOR THE ATHLETE TO FOLLOW. THE MOST SIMPLE ONE BEING NINE DIFFERENT COLOURED BITS OF TAPE STUCK TO THE TRACK, AND THE MOST ADVANCED BEING A CAMERA MOUNTED LASER BEAM.
HAILE RUNNING
1.
A PRE-PROGRAMMED AUTOMATED CAMERA MANAGED TO MOVE WITH THREE HAILES TAKING THE BEND. THE ENTIRE STADIUM BEHIND HAILE WAS PUT INTO THE SHOT AFTERWARDS. A LASER POINTER KEPT THE THREE HAILES IN POSITION.
2.
OVER 40 METRES OF TRACK AND A HYDRAULICALLY POWERED MOTION CONTROL CAMERA WITH A LASER BEAM ENABLED HAILE TO STAY IN SHOT. THIS WIDE TRACKING SHOT OF NINE INDIVIDUAL HAILES IN MOTION TOOK AN ENTIRE NIGHT TO SHOOT.
03Haile
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1.
2.
“ALL THIS, JUST FOR THIRTY SECONDS…NO WAY.” - HAILE GEBRSELASSIE
03Haile
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14 FEET 14 INCHES 04Stacy
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MAYBE NO OTHER ATHLETE IN THE CAMPAIGN BETTER DEMONSTRATED THE CONCEPT OF ‘IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING’ THAN STACY. HIS ABILITY TO DROP IN OFF A HUGE VERT RAMP TOOK HIM MORE THAN A YEAR TO MASTER. HE BEGAN BY DROPPING OFF A 14 INCH RAMP AND THEN WORKED HIS WAY UP TO 14 FEET.
04Stacy
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14/07/2004, 10:33
8 mm
When I was a kid...
04Stacy
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I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think anything was impossible.
15/07/2004, 13:56
I could do grinds, tailwhips,
Digital
16 mm
NO FANCY RIGS OR 35MM CAMERAS WERE TO BE SEEN ON SET. INSTEAD, A HAND-WOUND 16MM BOLEX, SUPER 8 AND VIDEO CAMERA WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY. THIS FOOTAGE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE COMBINED WITH REAL SKATE FOOTAGE FROM THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES TO TELL STACY’S STORY.
But then impossible came at me in a whole new way.
even 540’s.
04Stacy
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And you know what… it ain’t that big a deal.
14/07/2004, 10:35
After all, I’m still on four wheels.
05Nadia_Nastia
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14/07/2004, 10:36
AFTER COMING UP WITH THE IDEA FOR A CHOREOGRAPHED ROUTINE ON THE UNEVEN BARS THE CREATIVE TEAM RACKED THEIR BRAINS FOR A SUITABLE GYMNAST TO WORK WITH NADIA COMANECI.
“WHY NOT JUST ASK NADIA?” 05Nadia_Nastia
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14/07/2004, 10:37
ONE NAME CAME STRAIGHT BACK FROM NADIA COMANECI:
“YOU SHOULD USE NASTIA LIUKIN.” A NADIA BODY DOUBLE WAS USED IN SOME OF THE LIVE ACTION SEQUENCES. A TENNIS BALL WITH A SMALL FACE ALSO HELPED NASTIA ACHIEVE PERFECT EYE-LINES WITH NADIA.
NASTIA
NAME: NASTIA LIUKIN BORN: OCTOBER 30, 1989 NATIONALITY: RUSSIAN RESIDES: PLANO TEXAS
05Nadia_Nastia
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NADIA LANCE NADIA
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SHOOT WAS A PHONE CALL FROM NADIA COMANECI, TO WISH NASTIA ALL THE BEST.
05Nadia_Nastia
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14/07/2004, 10:39
VALERI’S KNOWLEDGE AND CREATIVE CHOREOGRAPHY WAS INVALUABLE IN DEVISING BELIEVABLE MOVES AROUND NADIA’S FAMOUS PERFECT TEN ROUTINE.
NASTIA IS COACHED BY HER FATHER VALERI. HE IS AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST AND THE FIRST MAN EVER TO PERFORM A TRIPLE SOMERSAULT FROM THE FLOOR. HER MOTHER ANNA WAS ALSO A WORLD CHAMPION IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS.
05Nadia_Nastia
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ORIGINAL FOOTAGE
FINAL FOOTAGE
When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a young gymnast the bar has already been set very high.
Nadia was the first to show the world a perfect ten.
Not once, but seven times.
She reminds me that if I work hard enough
thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chance that for just one moment
...perfection is possible.
05Nadia_Nastia
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14/07/2004, 10:41
FINDING OUT THAT JESSE OWENS WORE ADIDAS RUNNING SPIKES IN 1936 WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TOO GOOD TO MISS. AND WHEN KIM COLLINS FROM ST. KITTS & NEVIS WON THE WORLD 100M CHAMPIONSHIP IN PARIS THE CREATIVE TEAM HAD THEIR PAST AND PRESENT ATHLETES. WHAT MADE THIS SPOT UNIQUE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO LINK JESSE TO KIM OVER A PERIOD OF 70 YEARS.
06Jesse_Kim
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06Jesse_Kim
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06Jesse_Kim
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A LIBERIAN OLYMPIC SPRINTER PLAYED THE ROLE OF JESSE OWENS, WHILE OTHER US OLYMPIC TRACK SPRINTERS PLAYED THE ROLES OF RUNNERS THROUGH THE DECADES.
A HUMMER SHOT-MAKING TRUCK WAS MOUNTED WITH THREE 35MM FILM CAMERAS STACKED VERTICALLY IN ORDER TO CREATE A SEAMLESS MORPH OF THE RUNNERS AT FULL SPEED. THIS SHOT WOULD END UP OCCUPYING ONLY THREE SECONDS OF THE FINAL COMMERCIAL AND TOOK THE ENTIRE FIRST DAY TO CAPTURE.
06Jesse_Kim
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14/07/2004, 10:42
THE COMMERCIAL TOOK TWO DAYS TO SHOOT UNDER EXTREMELY HOT CONDITIONS. AMAZINGLY, KIM COLLINS SUFFERS FROM EXERCISE INDUCED ASTHMA AND HAD TO BE RESTED BETWEEN TAKES.
06Jesse_Kim
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15/07/2004, 14:00
THE DIRECTOR LANCE ACORD WAS OBSESSIVE ABOUT DETAILS. TO CREATE AN IDENTICAL BREATHING PATTERN BETWEEN THE BODY DOUBLE AND THE ORIGINAL JESSE FOOTAGE, THE DIRECTOR RECORDED AN AUDIO BEAT FOR THE ATHLETES TO FOLLOW. THIS WAY THE SUBTLE MOVEMENTS OF THE HEAD AND CHEST ARE MATCHED.
06Jesse_Kim
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15/07/2004, 18:21
MEDIA COVERAGE IN SIX OUT OF SEVEN CONTINENTS.
07People
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15/07/2004, 14:04
SORRY ANTARCTICA, WE’LL GET YOU NEXT TIME.
07People
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15/07/2004, 14:08
Razor Sharp posted this at 7:35 PM - February 06, 2004 Adidas is looking to overtake Nike and Reebok with an agressive campaign that looks to the past. I didnʼt dig the TMac2 or Three, but played in the AdidasSuperstar feather which I am told is the same exact shoe as the TM2, minus the funky lacing system. I hated those shoes as they were too clunky for my taste. But Iʼm digginʼthat commercial with Laila Ali, Tmac, and the,” GREATEST OF ALLLL TIIIIIMES,” running in Zaire circa 74.....thats dope.
07People
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14/07/2004, 10:50
IM FIRST BEEYATCHES!!! i dont think nike cares much about copying. cuz theyre all about the benjamins. i think the ads will b sick, but tmac runnin with ali was sick too. peace Bigsby posted this at 12:00 AM - February 25, 2004 I’ve always been a fan of Nike and Jordan commercials. Yet i absolutely love these latest Adidas commercials. Watchin The Greatest fight his daughter is absolutely amazing. I also love the running one with Ali, T-mac and various other adidas athletes.Absolutely Great Commercials. I hope these new nike ones are up to par. hell wung posted this at 12:00 AM - February 25, 2004 Man, the new adidas campiagn in my opinion is awesome. I like it a lot, especially the one where all the adidas stars runs with Ali. I just checked them out on the adidas website. Adidas is a down to earth brand that just designs products that work (the whole Bromium line). The tmac line not only works but looks good too! I have been an adidas fan since day one and continue to be one espcially when Tmac, KG and TD is on the team. KG is MY man. He IS going to be MVP imo. theWORLDFAMUSme posted this at 9:35 AM - February 25, 2004 Those new adidas commercials with Ali are sicker than SARS! When I found out that Ali used to be an adidas endorser, I hoped that they would use him in a commercial someway, but I never figured it would look as good as it does. Everytime it comes on it has a sombering effect, like I can’t help but watch it. Razor Sharp posted this at 3:37 PM - February 25, 2004 You cannot get better than “the Greatest”. I love the fact that Muhammad is being used in these ads, much better than seeing Julius Erving in an Nike ad. The Doc never wore Nike. Ali wore Adidas. I think Nike is full of it with those ads. numba 22 posted this at 7:25 PM - February 25, 2004 i love those impossible is nothing commercials with kg, duncan and t-mac. the ali one was sick too. speaking of adidas, prof. k, my aau team is picking team shoes from adidas and i dont know which ones i should suggest to my team. if you could help me out, it’d be great, because i have never worn adidas playing (im a nike guy) a2b posted this at 12:35 AM - February 28, 2004 Although it is a good commercial by Nike, the Marion Jones landing was so fake.. I love the adidas commercials too(maybe a little more)... Ali running with all those athletes was cool. Ffm posted this at 2:19 PM - February 29, 2004 the new adidas campaign rocks! Red-UK posted this at 8:10 AM - March 06, 2004 The ads are simply class! Red-UK posted this at 8:12 AM - March 06, 2004 That is the Adidas campaign is class, I have yet to see the Nike efforts. what posted this at 6:02 AM - March 17, 2004 the adidas ad was alright, it does’nt show much but just some people running and walking. Another question, do u know half of those people running in the ali commercial. tommyboy posted this at 8:23 AM - March 20, 2004 hey what, runners included david beckham,after tiger and schumi best eraning athlete, zinedine zidane, trhe best sioccer player ever and haile gebrelassie, the world’s greatest runner (10000m and 5000m)
BOOK DESIGN: DARIO NUCCI, DEAN MARYON WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD BULLOCK
07People
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14/07/2004, 10:52
PHOTO: LANCE ACORD 07People
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14/07/2004, 10:52
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS CAMPAIGN POSSIBLE. CHEERS -180 AMSTERDAM
07People
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14/07/2004, 10:53
herengracht 506, 1017 CB amsterdam the netherlands, + 31 20 4222 180, 180amsterdam.com
Back Cover
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