We sorted our metaphors into various categories: the product itself, the urban running environment and pop culture. Each material had to convey either soft and cushioned or lightweight and breathable; better yet, both. The product itself gave us a wealth of forms and materials from which to take inspiration, as did the running terrain. Finally, as the Air Max 2017 is worn as a fashion shoe by many, it needed to connect with style as well as substance, so we injected some whimsical pop-led elements.

Sound design is crucial to the film as it’s very much the driving force behind the flow. It represents an abstracted daily run and is composed of the rhythm of foot strikes, percussive traffic noises, sonic references to airflow and the runner’s breath.

Overall, the film is a lighthearted smack in the face - precisely what we were after.

We took our cue from the R&D reels that we often create - collections of visual madness that are always well-received. The editorial aim was to overwhelm the viewer, leaving them wanting more. But even though we wanted to pack the edit full, we had to keep it tightly knit so that it didn’t become messy or disjointed. Our palette of forms and textures all share the same world, but the primary unifying element is the negative space of the shoe itself. Its presence in all shots gave us the freedom to push our metaphors and still maintain consistency.

The visuals are paired with bespoke sound design to create an engaging edit style that imparts an overwhelming sense of lightness and comfort. Our sound collaborators recorded various footsteps, editing and re-pitching them, finally playing them musically to form the melody and rhythm of the piece.

AM17 has been viewed over 260K times on our Vimeo and Instagram channels combined, it is the most popular animated film on Vimeo to date when searching ‘Nike’. It has received an astounding response in the press, featured at the top of Fubiz’s: ‘2016 Year in Advertising’, It’s Nice That’s: ‘Review of the Year - Moving Image’, Design Collector’s: ‘Top Motion Graphics of 2016’ as well as featuring in Shot’s: ‘30 Years of Nike Air Max in 7 Adverts’ and other articles in Creative Review, Motionographer and Stash Media to name a few.