Brazilians are being urged to forget about the traumas of their side’s 7-1 humiliation at the hands of eventual winners Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and dream about the successes ahead for home athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympics Games in a new advert by Nike.
The “Tomorrow Starts Now” advert features a number of Brazil’s top sportsmen and women who are expected to be big medal hopes when Rio de Janeiro hosts the Olympics and Paralympics.
Creators Weiden + Kennedy Sao Paulo claim the 60-second film is designed to inspire the people of Brazil and encourage them to get behind its athletes.
Some of the stars featured include Yane Marques, a bronze medal in the modern pentathlon at London 2012, beach volleyball sisters Clara and Carol Salgado, Pan American Games champion sprinter Ana Claudia Lemos and basketball players Leandrinho and Anderson Varejão.
Nike account director for Weiden + Kennedy Sao Paulo Ryan Fisher said the aim is to “encourage Brazil to keep training, keep pushing and keep cheering.”
The FIFA World Cup was generally seen as a huge success in Brazil despite fears of public protests and stadiums and infrastructure not being finished on time.
On the pitch a record equalling 171 goals were scored, matching the tally from France in 1998.
While the Brazilian national side made it through to the semi-finals their style of football was much criticised and following their drubbing at the hands of Germany in the semi-final in Belo Horizonte, and a subsequent 3-0 loss to The Netherlands in the third-place play-off, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked as manager by the Brazilian Football Association.
Brazil were one of 10 teams at the tournament sponsored by Nike and while the American giant came out on top in terms of overall goals scored against its big rival Adidas – 62 to 58 – the German outfit had two teams in the final that saw Germany beat Argentina thanks to a Mario Götze goal in extra-time.
Nike also sponsor the Brazilian Olympic Committee and is the official apparel partner of Rio 2016, a deal signed more than two years ago.
In terms of Brazilian success at Rio 2016, home fans will be expecting its athletes to better its haul at London 2012 where they won a total of 17 medals that included golds for Sarah Menezes in judo, gymnast Arthur Zanetti and the women’s volleyball team.
This article first appeared in Inside the Games and has been reproduced with permission. The original article can be viewed by clicking here.