The consensus around these parts over the years has been that Roger Federer is a singularly awkward brand spokesman. But that's not entirely fair.
All you have to do to make a successful Federer spot is make it as pleasantly goofy as he is, limit his speaking lines to approximately zero, and find a costar who won't overshadow him.
You can tick off all three boxes with this new spot from Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore., for the Nike Free sneaker. The ad shows the 31-year-old, 17-time Grand Slam singles winner locked in one of the more brutal showdowns of his storied career—as he tries to swat a pesky fly in his lovely, spacious Swiss home.
The shoe is apparently uniquely flexible, and so is the commercial, directed by Furlined's Adam Hashemi. Its 45 seconds give it room to breathe, allowing both the faux-suspense and the comedy to build (the shot from outside the home, with Federer poking the broom at the ceiling, is a particularly strong one). It also gives the sneakers some decent airtime as well.
The problem is not that Federer isn't charming—he is. It's that most commercials call for him for actually attempt acting, which is a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, this spot plays to his strengths—giving him a few hero shots, an uncomplicated plot he can tackle lightheartedly, and a chance to show off his athleticism. In those things, he remains undiminished, even in the twilight of his career.
The ad is part of a larger campaign that also included the earlier spots "Cat Flap" featuring Gabby Douglass and "Toy Claw" featuring Ashton Eaton and Allyson Felix. See those ads below as well.
CREDITS
Client: Nike
—Spot: "Running Free/Fly Swatter"
Global Creative Directors: Alberto Ponte, Ryan O'Rourke
Copywriter: Jeff Salomonsson
Art Director: Sara Philips
Producer: Chris Capretto
Executive Agency Producer: Matt Hunnicutt
Account Team: Catherine Wolpe, Vanessa Miller
Executive Creative Directors: Susan Hoffman, Joe Staples
PRODUCTION
Production Company: Furlined
Director: Adam Hashemi
President: Diane McArter
Executive Producer: Eriks Krumins
Line Producer: Ben Mann
Director of Photography: Toby Irwin
EDITORIAL
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Kirk Baxter
Assistant Editor: Nate Gross
Post Producer: Toby Louie
Post Executive Producer: CL Weaver
VFX
VFX Company: The Mill
Lead 3D Artist: Michael Panov
Lead 2D Artist: Daniel Thuresson
Smoke Artist: Scott Johnson
Exeutive Producer: Sue Troyan
VFX Producer: Christina Thompson
COLOR
Color Company: Company 3
Colorist: Sofie Borup
MUSIC + SOUND DESIGN
Music+Sound Company: Trinitite Inc
Written by: Mozart
Sound Designer: Brian Emrich
Song: Requiem in D Minor perf by Leipziger, Schreier, Dresden
AUDIO
Mix Company: Lime Studios
Mixer: Rohan Young
Assistant Mixer: Jeff Malen
Producer: Jessica Locke
—Spots: "Cat Flap," "Toy Claw"
Global Creative Directors: Alberto Ponte, Ryan O’Rourke
Copywriters: Jeff Salomonsson (Cat Flap, Toy Claw), Dylan Lee (Toy Claw only)
Art Director: Sara Phillips
Senior Producer: Jennie Lindstrom
Associate Producer: Kirsten Acheson
Account Team: Catherine Wolpe, Vanessa Miller
Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples, Susan Hoffman
Executive Producer: Matt Hunnicutt
PRODUCTION
Production Company: Furlined
Director: Adam Hashemi
President: Diane McArter
Executive Producer: Eriks Krumins
Line Producer: Pete Vitale (Toy Claw, Cat Flap)
Director of Photography: Toby Irwin
EDITORIAL
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Kirk Baxter
Asst. Editor: Nate Gross
Post Producer: Toby Louie
Post Executive Producer: CL Weaver
COLOR/TELECINE
Company: CO3
Colorist: Sofie Borup
VFX
VFX Company: The Mill
Creative Director: Phil Crowe
Lead Flame: Sarah Elm
2D VFX Artists: Remedy Huynh / Patrick Munoz / Drew Huntley / Elad Offer
VFX Producer: Christina Thompson
VFX Production Coordinator: Samantha Axelrod
MUSIC
Music Company: Search Party (Toy Claw only)
Composer: Jesse Novak
Music Producer: Sara Matarazzo
SOUND DESIGN
Sound Design Company: Trinitite Inc (Toy Claw + Cat Flap)
Sound Designer: Brian Emrich (Toy Claw + Cat Flap)
MIX
Mix Company: Lime Studios
Mixer: Rohan Young
Asst. Mixer: Jeff Malen
Producer: Jessica Locke
