Nike China’s latest ad is aimed at inspiring Shanghainese athletes to keep going.
The commercial ‘Shanghai’s Never Done’ celebrates the never-satisfied spirit of Shanghai athletes by centering on a man who seems stuck in the past - Mr. Lin, the proud owner of a struggling store that sells finish lines for races. While he celebrates the end of things, Shanghai athletes keep going.
This relentless spirit is also dominant in the city itself. An endless drive for constant development and modernisation has taken Shanghai from port city to a global metropolis in 80 years, and turned a nearly empty field into one of the world’s most recognizable skylines in a fraction of that time. And the city isn’t slowing down.
Mr. Lin, played by Lin Dongfu, a celebrated Shanghainese film actor and former television host, complains about how Shanghai athletes can’t seem to get enough. They are always pushing themselves, getting faster and stronger, never satisfied with where they are. The film shows a Shanghai where marathon runners avoid the finish line to keep going, high school basketball games are sent into the 33rd period of overtime, skateboarders build seven-story tall half pipes and MMA fighters refuse to tap out.
In additional to Lin Dongfu, the commercial also features several well-known Shanghainese cameos. Zhao Lina, the current goalkeeper for the Chinese National Team, and Shanghainese local, boots a football at a billboard for Lin’s store. And Shanghai’s No. 54 High School and Bao Shan High school are two of Shanghai’s top high school basketball teams seen taking their game deep into overtime.
The film kicked off a month-long campaign aimed at pushing Shanghainese athletes to bring that never-enough spirit to sports. To realise there’s always better and more out there you can do.