Okay, I’m really not trying to turn this blog into some sort of soccer forum, but it just so happens that two of my favorite commercials recently happen to be related to the World Cup.  Yeah, I know Americans are passionately disinterested about soccer for the most part, but not me. And even without watching a moment of this year’s tournament from South Africa, anyone can appreciate the massive global appeal and influence of this event. Billions will hinge on every bounce of the ball and the lives of certain men will be changed forever. With that in mind, check out this commercial from Nike and the creatives at Wieden+Kennedy in Amsterdam.

Wow. It’s amazing. I really don’t usually buy into the whole ‘advertising can be art’ argument, but this ad is basically a short film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the guy who was nominated for an Oscar for directing Babel. So I’ll make an exception and describe this spot as captivating, exciting, hilarious, and yes…artistic.