Newsletter
With 'No Pride, No Sport,' Nike Extends Pride Well Past June
Because Pride is every moment you put yourself out there
Nike teamed up with Soursop in Amsterdam to give us some representative filmmaking. Developed with queer writer-director Abel Rubinstein, “No Pride, No Sport” shows LGBTQIA+ athletes celebrating their values and identities while inspiring others.
The films are shot in 9:16. They combine native content, live action and archival footage. The first features Jarred and Hany, Berlin-based runners in the Joy Run Collective, where women of color and allies find camaraderie and support.
The community vibes are strong with this one!
The second episode zips us to Paris, where Leone and Yassin describe their coaching work. Leone’s sports journey led to some serious self-realization about what it means to be non-binary. Yassin, who’s HIV-positive, cultivates an aura of confidence, approachability and strength. “You can be a sports coach, you can be successful, happy in life, have friends,” he says.
Both operate classes at the queer-friendly KAH fitness studio.
Soursop assembled a creative team that reflects different facets of the LGBTQIA+ community in order to articulate authentically queer stories.
The first film received a fair share of internet hate when it debuted. This made the agency anxious about the safety of its team and talent. Nike ultimately posted a statement in support of the queer community, an act of empowerment that helped Soursop hold firm in defiance of trolls.
The second video generated more positive feedback, “showing progress is slowly being made,” the agency notes. Though they also concede, “We still have a lot of ground to cover.”
They view the work as a template for diversity and inclusion well beyond Pride month. Soursop hopes agencies and brands will take representation more seriously across all aspects of storytelling.
CREDITS
Agency: Soursop (Amsterdam)
Director: Abel Rubinstein
Production Company: Bullion Productions (London)
Angela Natividad is the European markets editor at Muse by Clio. She also writes about gaming and fashion, and whatever else she’s interested in, really. She’s based in Paris and North Italy, so if you’re local, say hi. She might eat all your food.
