At a time when the global narrative around female equality is so prominent and important, one of Nike’s most successful female athletes continues to be targeted and victimized for being different.

Caster Semenya, who has hyperandrogenism (a condition where her body naturally produces more testosterone than most women), was first accused of having an unfair advantage in competition in 2008. Her gender was publicly scrutinized, she was tested and subsequently cleared to compete in female competition.

This year, the international athletics body, the IAAF, announced new rules that bans female athletes like Caster. This film was made to build and show support for Caster as she prepared to run her last races, while fighting to overturn the ruling.

When you’re born to do it—Just do it.

Our idea is a defiant show of support for an athlete unfairly questioned about her gender. Sending a message to her accusers, while also acting as a rallying cry to any female athlete who feels they have been sidelined for being different.

Sport has always been a place where genetic outliers shine. Usain Bolt’s long legs, fast-twitch fibres & superior ACTN3 levels (sprinting gene) allow him to sprint faster than everyone. Michael Phelps’s wingspan and large hands & feet made him essentially designed to swim. Giannis’ extraordinary measures in addition to 13.5 inches Achilles (almost double the length of the average adult male's) make him the new NBA prototype.

That’s the whole point. Great athletes are not normal. They are supreme beings. These natural advantages - along with drive, hard work and dreams - unearth new possibilities and push our limits as athletes and humans.

So why is Caster being targeted for being naturally different? We created a campaign (including film, print, and social and influencer amplification) that showed Nike’s unequivocal support for Caster in her last races before the IAAF ruling came into effect.

We teased the launch of the campaign with a typographic GIF on Nike and Caster’s social channels stating ‘I AM CASTER, I AM FASTER.’

Next, a double-page print in South Africa’s largest Sunday Newspaper that had a powerful photo of Caster mid-run with the provocative line: ‘Too fast? Too bad. She was born to do this.’

Then, on the weekend before her last race, we launched a 60” film on South African television, starring Caster and directed by AG Rojas. While a longer version was released on Nike’s global YouTube channel.

Right before her last race, we had one of Caster’s heros and fellow Nike athletes, LeBron James surprise her with a ‘I AM CASTER, I AM FASTER’ t-shirt, while wearing one himself.

The campaign got over 84.5M impressions. The film achieved over 18.5M views.

It created incredible conversation in earned media, not just in South Africa, but across the globe, with statements such as:

“Caster Semenya’s Ad changed the Game” - Elle

“Nike slaps down the Haters” - Times

“Goosebumps” - Channel 24

“Knocked it out of the Park” - ESPN

Sparking debate and messages of support on social media, making #JustDoIt become the number 1 trending hashtag in South Africa.