AARON GODARD, CLICK CONTENT STUDIOS VIDEO PROUDCER SHARE HIS FAVORITE TV COMMERCIAL

Video content has a way of telling a story like no other medium. The right mix of music, movement, body language and words can draw us into a story that’s not ours but allows us to feel and experience it as if it was. This is why some of the most impactful videos stay with us. And if you’re a videographer, you likely have an ongoing list of favorites. Aaron, one of our video producers and videographers, shares one of his.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE AD

There’s a soccer player named Landon Donovan who I went to school with from elementary through high school. In the winter of 2002, he was off playing professional soccer and was kind of a big deal among my peers so I heard from some friends he was going to be featured in a Nike commercial ad during the Winter Olympics of 2002. I remember watching the Olympics that year wondering if I’d catch that commercial spot running.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT IT?

Besides having a connection to one of the people in the ads, it really stuck with me for a lot of reasons. I think this was one of the first ads that I can remember that felt more cinematic. It seemed to tell a story without saying anything, just letting the imagery do the work. It didn’t feel like it was selling me a product, but more of an idea or a lifestyle. 

I was immediately drawn to the music, the sound design, the visuals and the phenomenal editing work with incredible match cuts and transitions. The whole ad feels frenetic, dipping in energy in some places and then ramping it up even higher as it progresses. Around the 1:15 mark the ad seems to let off, the tagline comes on and you feel like it’s over. Then it immediately punches back in for a last burst of energy. The ad builds up so effectively, feeling as if it’s one continuous take, and by the end is begging the viewer to do as the ad title states and “move.”

It gave me a new appreciation for what a commercial ad could be and how it could make you feel.