Anyone who’s gone running after a hard day knows the power of an active imagination. With every arm pump, you might be punching your boss in the face. With every stride, you’re building yourself into the powerhouse that will soon confront your boyfriend about his lack of follow-through.  Some picture themselves as superheroes, sprinting through the streets to make the ultimate rescue. When we push our bodies, our minds make the physical effort possible–and even fun.

W+K’s latest spots for Nike+ helps bring those mental adventures to life. The star runners of their TV ads are in a real-life video game, leaping up palettes and climbing through windows as they complete their workouts. Nike+ helps runners measure, map, track and share their runs, gamifying the work out process and inspiring everyday runners to reach farther.

My only complaint with both ‘Game on World’ and ‘Run Your City’ is their weak music selection. I get that they’re going for a tinkery game soundtrack, but I would rather they forfeit the game theme in favor of some motivational (and still techno-flavored) Diplo or bouncy pop Walk the Moon.

Credits and ‘Game on World’ video after the jump.

Read more

Once a company synonymous with overseas sweatshops and cheap labor, Nike wasn’t exactly what anyone would consider a model of environmental sustainability. In a PR move, the brand is making a move to change that reputation, starting the Nike Open Challenge for Sustainable Materials.

In partnership with Random Hacks of Kindness, an organization of developers and programmers that seeks to develop practical open technology, Nike is asking manufactures and innovators to utilize sustainable materials in accordance with the Nike Sustainable Materials Index. Essentially a microsite, the index allows makers of things to evaluate the materials they’re using according to environmental impact, from waste to water to energy.

Along with the challenge and microsite (Nike has money, y’all), the brand along with W+K and the latter’s in-house “Portland Incubation Experiment” kicked off the challenge with the above video. “The Making of Making” celebrates Portland denizens whose work results in strong, calloused hands, all the while making fun of those of us with desk jobs that leave us with silky smooth baby hands. The challenge officially launches on Saturday, so if you know anyone with creative ideas who has the know-how to give Nike a hand, visit the challenge’s Tumblr to get the details on the project and updates on submissions. Credits follow after the jump.

Read more

Is it just us or does the tagline for Wieden + Kennedy’s next phase of the “Go Forth” campaign for Levi’s remind you of Justin Timberlake‘s cringe-worthy line in The Social Network? Whatever the case, the parties involved are back with a new, anthemic (and very oddly timed) campaign about “building a new and better future” that of course also promotes the Levi’s fall collection.

This time, the words of Charles Bukowski replace Walt Whitman‘s as the poetic narrative and the scene shifts to Berlin in this 60-second short film directed by Ralf Schmerberg. It’s not just about American pride anymore, folks, though the idea and imagery basically appears the same. Below, you can check out the Berlin-based collaboration between W+K Amsterdam and artist Alexandre Farto that officially kicked off the campaign last month. Peep film credits after the jump and check out the Facebook component here.

Read more