Nike’s Dystopian World Cup Ad is Like ‘Gattaca’ for Soccer

February 3, 2018 ad, advertisement, Advertising, Business, Marketing, Nike, soccer, Sports, Videos, world cup

If Wayne Rooney wasn’t a footballer, he’d probably be a fisherman. But the only way he wouldn’t be a footballer is if the clones took over.

Nike’s latest ad, “The Last Game,” in support of World Cup fever takes on a similar premise to the latest dystopian sci-fi movie. It pits man vs. the “perfect” clone — a soccer player that performs like a machine and is, supposedly, unbeatable. But they’re missing one thing: heart (or, as Nike puts it, the willingness to take risks). It’s sort of like a Gattaca that substitutes soccer for space travel.

The best players unite to challenge the clones. We won’t spoil the ending, but lets just say it’s clear is Nike is reminding you that winning players are willing to take risks. Risk makes the game worth watching. Yay risk.

All the 2014 World Cup action starts up on Thursday, June 12.

BONUS: Six Apps to Fuel Your World Cup Fever

Apps to Follow the World Cup

ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup

ESPN’s app for the World Cup featues in-depth analysis and commentary from their team of experts. Customize the experience by choosing your favorite teams to follow and set detailed alerts for everything from in-game substitutions to sore updates to team stats. Users in the U.S. can also see exclusive video highlights from the games. The free app is available for iOS and Android.

Image: ESPN
FIFA ’14

Fans of EA’s FIFA series for Xbox and PlayStation will appreciate the company’s latest World Cup iOS offering. In FIFA ’14 players can compete in their own World Cup brackets and customize their team’s lineup to compete with their ideal fantasy team. Those who want to make it more competitive can challenge friends and other online player’s in the game’s multiplayer mode. The free app is available for iOS.

Image: Electronic Arts
FIFA Official

FIFA Official provides comprehensive profiles of each team, player and coach detailing the past national and World Cup history of each organization. The app has a daily live blog that provides a constantly-refreshed stream of updates from the matches and exclusive photos and videos from the tournament. Super fans can also play games, vote on each game’s “Man of the Match” and sign up for a shot at winning kick-off balls used during the actual games. The free app is available for iOS and Android.

Image: FIFA
Onefootball Brasil

Choose your favorite teams and get up to the minute updates from both on and off the field. Listen to live commentary from matches and chat with your fellow fans when you connect the app to your Facebook account. The app also has in-depth pre and post-game videos of press conference, interviews and analysis. The free app is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Image: Motain GmbH
Travel Portuguese Futebol Edition

For those actually traveling to Brazil to watch the games, Travel Portuguese Futebol Edition from Rosetta Stone will give you a crash-course in essential Portuguese to help you get around the country. The app has simple tutorials that teach you essential words and phrases for learning soccer terminology, taking public transit, ordering food and more. The free app is available for Android.

Image: Rosetta Stone, Ltd.
theScore

theScore is a one-stop shop for all the latest breaking news and updates from your favorite teams and players. Users can set breaking news alerts for individual players or entire teams. Follow along during games with the constantly-updated steam of news about each team and real-time game and score updates. For an even more detailed look, use the app’s shot tracking feature to see exactly how each game’s goals were scored. The app is available for iOS and Android.

Image: theScore