Just as Nike broadcast spots incorporate top-tier directorial talent to bring Wieden + Kennedy's creative to life, similar attention is paid to in-store spots. Often, these campaigns draw from the biggest names in design and motion graphics to sell the message. Currently, two new sets of in-store and web films, created by star mograph artist Nando Costa and Brazilian design deities Lobo for the Embrace series of campaigns, have been building buzz about the brand that extends beyond the retail environment.

"We want to create work that is multi-platform so we can have it on the web, in stores, et cetera," says Nike brand media designer Ramiro Torres, who also art directs projects where other design houses are used. "Once we get the brief, we work in a hybrid environment - we can do it in-house or we can bring in freelancers or another shop."

Nando Costa, who recently moved to Portland, Oregon (home of Nike HQ), first worked with the company on a Nike Presto promo film. His latest assignment is a series of three tranquil :20 films for the "Embrace the Elements" holiday in-store and web campaign. Three elements - rain, wind, snow - are depicted against a duo-tone palette with silhouetted runners. While the color palette and silhouette concept came from Nike, Costa says his three-person team was given great latitude in shaping the look of the project.

It was the movement of the runners that most interested the client. "When we were looking at the initial footage, they had specific issues about things like how far away the hands were from the body, how low they were, their positions," Costa explains. "In the end we used some footage they had of people running and we based it off of that."

Lobo's piece for the "Embrace the Exotic" campaign, aimed at female customers, came from a brief requiring an HD piece for Nike's Fitness division, based on ancient Chinese engravings. Lobo incorporated such icons as the dragon, the yin/yang and the phoenix in a dazzling kaleidoscopic display.

"Our idea was to animate the spot as a disk with several layers," explains Lobo's founder/CD Mateus de Paula Santos. "While designing the layers, we realized the 'disk rotation' concept was working very well for the spot, because it became a stage for our characters."

Both Lobo and Costa say that working with Torres and Nike's design team provided the chance to offer creative input, an environment that Torres strives for. "We establish what we want from the very beginning. Within those parameters, we're still pretty loose...We want them to own the piece as well."

Nike www.nike.com
Nando Costa www.nandocosta.com
Lobo www.lobo.cx
Ramiro Torres www.ramirotorres.com