Dreaming Together

It might look like that we at the Reel have a slight penchant for writing about Mr Dassler and his three stripes and some would call us biased… however the boys and girls at 180 Amsterdam have created another neat campaign that warrants a little more than a few lines of prose.

So we thought we would write another little feature on the blighters!

The new project titled ‘Dream Big’ sees the world’s biggest influential football stars mixing with the world's smallest and most inconsequential teams and continues the tradition of showcasing elite level athletes alongside real people – inspiring them to go further.

The emphasis shifting from the obvious obtuse choice of UEFA EURO 2008 to lesser known football teams is a welcome one and allows adidas to demonstrate that they care about the little people as much as they do about the big money / fanfare events.

180’s campaign aims to show us all that anyone can ‘Dream Big’ no matter their ranking, as Kaka, Messi, Gerrard and Beckham are sent out on missions to Andorra, San Marino and the Isles of Scilly. Here the mega stars set out coaching local teams whose reputations are in the doldrums and in doing so evoke the adidas mantra ‘impossible is nothing’.


180 worked with youth teams in each of the three locations to take part in what they thought was a straight forward documentary about football – and were totally unaware of the professional players involvement. The surprise element led to some charming and real moments between the players and the aspiring kids.

San Marino is one of the lowest ranked teams in Europe and is treated to a coaching visit from Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Robin Van Persie. The second location in the series sees adidas stars sharing their knowledge in the world's smallest football competition. Just two teams make up the isle of Scilly league and the young players there could use some outside help. Much to the surprise of locals and young players alike a few world renowned players turn up to lend a hand and give some valuable insight.

In the third location a bunch of talented Juniors from Andorra set off on a road trip of a lifetime to the Spanish capital of Madrid. Uber-pro help arrives in the form of Jose Mourinho (tickled by the idea of helping the 179th ranked country in the world) who involves them in a special coaching session with the future of Andorran football before sending the boys off on their journey. They are joined by Lionel Messi, David Villa, Lukas Podlski and Arjen Robben, and the journey of a lifetime climaxes in a packed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Another great example of a fearless idea executed with charm and polish subtly fortified by great direction from Johan Kramer, Marco Grandia and Richard Bullock respectively … Sports brands take note!

NewsReel 24/04/08

Big ideas can make anyone feel small
Craig Davis, JWT’s Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and this year’s Cannes Film & Press Lions Jury President has been brought down to size for the festival’s 2008 viral campaign.



Students get offered a toon up
NickToons have teamed up with Skillset and launched a competition to offer student animators the chance to have their work broadcast on the digital channel and a paid summer internship at the channel’s London offices. The competition offers undergraduates a unique opportunity to get a head-start in the industry and is open to students at the seven Skillset accredited animation and television production universities: Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication; Arts Institute Bournemouth; University for the Creative Arts, Farnham; Bournemouth University; Glamorgan University; University of Wales, Newport and the University of Teesside.

Tracey Cleland, Creative Manager of NickToons said of the competition, ‘This is a huge opening for every aspiring animator and a fantastic opportunity for us to work with the new wave of UK talent - we can't wait to watch the entries.'…and neither can we.

To enter, students must submit an idea for a funny 30-second animated short. Up to 80 will be selected to enter a professional pitching and treatment process at Nickelodeon that will take them through the key stages of animation development to final delivery and broadcast on NickToons.

For more information contact Skillset's Sarah Afzal

Wanda-ful news
Wanda Productions Paris have signed Benjamin Ducroz for European (excluding UK) and Asian representation. You can view the RMIT Media Arts graduate’s work in the Studiowanda section of their website.

Allain is drawn to Draw
The director of the new Ting Tings video, David Allain, has been signed to Draw Pictures. David learnt his trade by working as a camera trainee on commercials, operating video playback on 'Layer Cake', and researching and storyboarding for directors including Vaughan Arnell and Daniel Wolfe. His other credits include videos for the Cooper Temple Clause, Lethal B and GoodBooks.

Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam get their (New) man

Lee Newman has joined Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam as its new managing director. Dave Luhr, chief operating officer at W + K is, for one, very pleased with the agency’s new recruit, saying, ‘Lee is a rare agency leader. He is intelligent, motivating and, most importantly, creative. His agency and account experience speak of his excellence.’ Newman is leaving Texas-based GSD&M to go to Amsterdam and joins the recently returned Jeff Kling in a new-look leadership team.