Nike champions unheard student voices in Korea

Client: Nike

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo

Market: South Korea

Details: ‘Hear Us’ is a 60-second video that features the voices of young Koreans vowing to take control of their fate. It comes as people are preparing to sit national college entry exams, typically a grueling process that can eclipse activities like sports and anything else deemed non-essential to academic success. The messages come from those invited to send in their personal stories via messaging app KakaoTalk in this campaign’s earlier installment in August.

In a release from Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo, Greg White, a senior digital strategist, said: “We wanted to give Korean kids the chance to have their voices heard, not just by us, but by their friends, parents and teachers. We used the app they use the most, KakaoTalk, to let them record their voices. We were blown away by what they had to say. We hope the films we made with their voices inspire other kids to play sport and adults to listen to them.”

Campaign Asia-Pacific’s view: We like the message of this ongoing campaign and the way that Nike has integrated its ‘Just do it’ mantra into a social issue. While the work ethic of Korean students is admirable, their enthusiasm for sports should not be crushed. This positions Nike as a brand that supports them in reclaiming the time they need and deserve to pursue something they are passionate about.

CREDITS

Client: Nike
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo
ECDs: Mike Farr, Tota Hasegawa
CD: Adam Koppel
Art director: Daisuke Maki
Copywriter: Damon Kim
Agency producer: Darryl Hagans
Account team: Ollie Pym, Casey Yoneyama, Liwon Kim, Ryan Johnson
Business affairs manager: Amber Lavender
Digital strategist: Greg White
Strategic planner: Maria Correa
Production company: Park Pictures
Editing company: Cutters Tokyo
Music company: Walker
Digital agency: HS Ad
Media agency: Innocean