04.24.08

Adidas 2008 Beijing Olympics Games "Hu Jia" TV spot

TV/Radio Commercials, Consumer

The brief for New York-based Psyop, from TBWA/China, was to create a poetic, sophisticated and awe-inspiring Olympics campaign that embraced the idea, “impossible is nothing.” Three of four spots tell personal stories of athlete-specific Olympic journeys.

Diving is a quiet, precise sport. The actual jump happens within a split second. The meditative moment before the jump determines its success or failure. Diver Hu Jia  performs with artistry, concentration and a personal story of will, dedication and drive, that provided the perfect platform to create sport advertising with a poetic visual journey.

The pace of the spot was crucial. It had to flow without rushing. The solution incorporates composite techniques with hand-drawn cell animation. Both languid and surreal, an underwater world becomes a portal to Hu Jia’s memories seconds after his jump.

The shoot required exacting consideration of Hu Jia’s time and the risks involved. Even though he does hundreds of dives a day, the jump featured in the spot has an extremely high level of difficulty; only a few people in the world can even execute it and Hu Jia limits himself to only one per practice session. With a lot of pressure on the production, the jump was shot with four cameras at a time, all high-speed and one underwater. (That day, Hu Jia executed the jump an unprecedented second time.)

Elvis Chau/Nie Lang/Xia Zheng/Susie Sun/Amani Qian, , TBWA/China, art directors; Sarawut Hengsawad/Lesley Zhou/Nicky Zhang/Michelle Wu, TBWA/China, writers; Lesley Zhou, TBWA/China, associate creative director; Yang Yeo/John Merrifield/Sarawut Hengsawad/Elvis Chau, TBWA/China, creative directors; Marie Hyon/Marco Spier, Psyop, directors; Justin Booth-Clibborn, Psyop/Daniel Bergman, Stink, executive producers; Lucia Grillo, Psyop/Mungo Maclagan, Stink, producers; Alex Melman, DOP; Nathan Jew, Psyop, associate producer; Kay Chen, Psyop, assistant producer; Pakorn Bupphavesa, Psyop, lead TD; Kim Dulaney/Marie Hyon/Joshua Harvey, Psyop, designers; Alvin Bae/Bashir Hamid/Chris Bach/Damon Ciarelli/Ted Kofsatis/Tony Barbieri, Psyop, TDs; Theo Maniatis, Psyop, VFX supervisor ; Lee Wolland/Kitty Lin/Anthony Patti/Rie Ito/Jaye Kim, Psyop, modeling/rigging; Ian Brauner/Justin Burton/Nicholas Johnnides/Gerald Ding/Eddy Estevez/Chris Santoianni/Jae Ham/Jed Mitchell/Melanie Tonkin, Psyop, animators; Mike Pa

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