Superprime director Rick Famuyiwa has delivered a humorous-yet-affecting spot for Gatorade and TBWA/Chiat/Day in LA. Never Lose the Love is part of the brand’s new Olympics campaign, aiming to inspire by showing what motivates the world’s best athletes.
Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, April Ross and Paul George are pushed to go faster and higher by their much younger selves in the 60 second spot. As their mini versions usher them to the next level, they help to illustrate the emotionally charged tagline, “The best never lose that love.”
The new campaign enacts the brand’s core philosophy to Win For Within by demonstrating how these athletes’ love of sports from a young age has led to their well-earned success now. AdWeek featured the film and noted, “[It] skillfully portrays the athletes’ dedication and enthusiasm for their various sports with humor and heart.”
“The work builds from Win From Within, Gatorade’s brand platform and the north star of the work that we do, by showing that motivation comes from the first time athletes feel the pure love of sport,” said Renato Fernandez, creative director, TBWA\Chiat\Day. Adding, “[There’s] a love from within capable of motivating and pushing them through all the hardship and taking them to the next level.”
Creativity, where the spot earned Editor’s Pick, declared: “Quirky details make the ad especially charming, from Jimmy Durante’s “Young at Heart” soundtrack — to the pipsqueak Usain Bolt who rides atop the runner’s training parachute and dances joyfully on the turf as Bolt chugs Gatorade.”
Rick has been making headlines of late not just for his work with Gatorade. It was just announced he will direct Ezra Miller as The Fastest Man Alive in The Flash for Warner Bros. This news comes hot on the heels of the release of Confirmation, a political drama he helmed for HBO starring Kerry Washington, and critical acclaim for his Sundance feature, Dope. In both of those, the director’s narrative style blended old-school and modern visual elements with nuance and tenacity – we can’t wait to see what he’ll do with an iconic DC Comics superhero.
