Nike celebrates London’s diversity with a new ad starring a host of celebrities, including Skepta, Harry Kane, Michael Dapaah, and other figured from the worlds of sport and music sharing the obstacles they must overcome to play the sport they love in the capital city.
Titled “Nothing beats a Londoner”, the three-minute film opens with grime pioneer Skepta entering a cornershop while talking on the phone with a friend who, apparently, asks him to get on a cycle and go to him. In the background, the instrumental to his 2015 hit “Shutdown” is heard. English rapper, actor, and comedian Michael Dapaah shows up behind him and tells him that cycling is “light work”. “Man’s got to run two miles from ends just to get to training.”, he says, which leads to a series of statements made by others describing the hurdles they have to go over to play the sport they love.
Among the stars making an appearance in the ad also are British sprinter who holds the British records for both the 100 metres and 200 metres Dina Asher-Smith, who says she has to run through Peckham at night, Britain’s most successful-ever distance runner and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Mo Farah, Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi, about whom Dapash says he is his best friend, English singer and rapper J Hus, English grime MC AJ Tracey, English footballer Steph Houghton, who both plays for and captains Manchester City and the England women’s national football team, Belgian professional footballer who plays for English club Chelsea Eden Hazard, and others. In addition, 258 young Londoners taking part in boxing, rowing, swimming, and other sports also star.
The song playing at the end of the commercial is “How Love Begins”, a 2016 single by English drum and bass producer DJ Fresh and Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer High Contrast featuring vocals from English rapper, songwriter, singer, and record producer Dizzee Rascal, from Fresh’s fourth studio album.
